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Tribune News Network
DOHA
Both Uganda and Qatar cricket teams will test their preparations for upcoming challenges during the week-long visit by the African team.
Uganda, coached by former Kenyan international Steve Tikolo, arrived in Doha on Tuesday night and they will play two matches against the Qatar national team one 50-over-a-side (February 9) and one Twenty20 (February 10). Their remaining three matches, including two T20 games, will be against the President's XI.
The Uganda team will also figure in the National Sport Day celebrations as they take on the President's Eleven in the last match on February 13 before flying back home the next day.
The bilateral series is part of Qatar team's preparations for the Asian regional qualifiers for the ICC Twenty20 World Cup, which are scheduled in Kuwait in April. The 50-over-a-side matches have been drafted at the request of the tourists as they are to contest in the longer versions of the game in the continental qualifiers.
Welcoming the touring team, Qatar Cricket Association President Yousef Jeham al Kuwari said,"The bilateral fixtures are a good opportunity for Qatar to get ready ahead of the Asian qualifying event. The Kuwait event is very important for us as we try to give our best shot to the 2020 World T20 Cup. The series will turn out to be useful not only for us but also for the Uganda team.
"The Uganda team is a quality outfit and I hope that not only the players would enjoy and learn a lot from it but also the fans would get good games to watch. We are trying our best to promote the game in Qatar and the National Sport day would get a great deal of international flavour," Kuwari added.
Cricket has been enjoying a massive growth and it is a most followed sport in Qatar."Cricket is the most popular sport here and around 2000 players are playing it in different divisions. It is really a big number for a small country like Qatar," he added.
Uganda, coached by former Kenya captain Tikolo, are using this series to put in some hard work before their World Cricket League Division 4 tournament in Malaysia in April. After the series in Qatar, Uganda will visit India to play some more practice matches.
Tikolo said his team is aiming to make it to the second division."Right now we are in the fourth division. We have a long way to go. I have been with Uganda for almost two years as the head coach. Cricket in Uganda is rising and lot of good players are coming up. Uganda has a good development system but we have got to make them good international players,"said Tikolo, who figured in 135 ODIs and 15 T20Is for Kenya over 18 years.
