Interview: Uganda cricket captain and local star Davis A. Karashani

I had the opportunity of interviewing the captain of one of the most promising cricket teams of Africa. The nation is the reigning champion of the Africa Twenty20 Championship and its clubs are leading forces in the East African Premier League and East African Trophy. The country we are talking about is Uganda and the man in the middle is the vibrant captain Davis A. Karashani. Jashanpreet: Thank you Davis for your time.

Davis: Thanks for the opportunity.

Jashanpreet: For the interest of wider world, I would like to ask you what is the status of cricket in your country.

Davis: Well first and foremost, cricket in Uganda plays second fiddle to soccer and athletics, but otherwise the game is only going one way: forwards. Cricket is being played a lot more not just in Kampala but in over 12 other districts and has recently picked up media recognition and national attention after we recently won the Africa T20 championship on home soil.

Jashanpreet: What is required for taking cricket to next level in your country?

Davis: Cricket in Uganda is undergoing various re-structural developments right from the administrators, age group cricket to national men and women teams. Awareness is being passed onto administrators about the requirements needed to transform a basic national team player into a consistent match winner in national colors. It is important that down to local cricket, the association has to find a way of keeping players interested in the game and playing for the nation with pride, to avoid any other exodus of more players to other nations. Efficient player followup programs to continue regular quality player availability, sending players to better facilitated ODI playing nations for further detailed training are major factors that could make a difference in seeing Uganda in a World cup sooner than later.

Jashanpreet: What are the challenges in playing for a Associate Nation?

Davis: Lack of proper training facilities, quality player turnover and lack of continued frequent playing exposure are the major challenges. Since cricket plays second fiddle to other sports in Uganda, sponsorship has been hard to come by that could have eased up on solving the above challenges. That said steps like playing in the E.A Premier League and Cup are expected to better players skills and abilities and expected to make a huge difference.

Jashanpreet: What should the ICC do to make the game global in the true sense of the word?

Davis: First and foremost, make a World Cup a WORLD CUP and not a 10 nation mini-series. The difference Uganda’s participation in previous U-19 World cups made down here was so huge that the game started taking an unexpected sudden rise in public awareness and created a huge urge in so many youngsters to take participation in cricket very seriously. The game began to be looked at as a revenue to brand Uganda as the next big cricketing nation in Africa, so just imagine if either the National men or women’s teams made it to the global event. Also the present WCL format is so wide due to the small number of teams per division making the wait between tournaments too huge to make a big difference. I propose the idea of 10 teams per division with fewer divisions, thus shorter waiting time between divisions.

Jashanpreet: How does it feel to be a star in your country at such a young age?

Davis: Well,I wouldn’t really regard it as stardom but rather public service with an immense opportunity to serve our country with pride. I have a burning desire to make a difference and leave a lasting mark in my country. Otherwise it is great being looked at as a role model to youngsters but that comes with the responsibility of making a remarkable difference.

Jashanpreet: What are the steps that need to be taken to make cricket self sufficient financially in Uganda?

Davis: Uganda cricket needs to urgently find a sponsor for the national team. Better facilities such as getting flood lights hand in hand with a working marketing strategy to tap into all potential sponsors and fans to attract them to cricket matches as a form of entertainment at a decent entrance fee are absolutely essential.

I thank Davis for taking out time to talk to me and hope Uganda qualifies for the World Twenty20 in 2012 and he leads his side Nile Knights to title’s of East Africa Cup and Premier League. All the very best from Associate and Affiliate world cricket

This article originally appeared at Associate & Affiliate World Cricket