Uganda’s cricket team captain Brian Masaba says his squad has the potential to cause some major upsets at the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup. Uganda is among 20 teams that will compete in the World Cup, which will be held in the West Indies and the United States from June 1 to 29.

Speaking to Xinhua on Tuesday, Masaba said that although they are among the lower-ranked teams at the World Cup, they are well-motivated and determined to cause some upsets against top teams.

“Even against bigger teams, we are still determined, because with cricket, you can stop a big team when you show up on a good day. It is very important to play well and let people out there know that Uganda can play good cricket,” said Masaba, adding that the whole team are excited to play in a World Cup for the first time. “It’s not very often that a team from Uganda qualifies for a World Cup in any sport, so qualifying has made a difference for Uganda and it is setting a good foundation that we should be able to build on,” explained Masaba.

With Uganda placed in Group C alongside Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea, the West Indies, and New Zealand, Masaba said it would be tough to predict how far they can get but added that they would treat every match like a final. “We know what to expect at the level of a World Cup and we shall therefore go and play our hearts out in every match,” he explained.

Masaba stated that after the good preparations and training camps in India and Sri Lanka, their opponents should not take them for granted. He also called upon his fellow players to use the platform at the World Cup to market themselves better around the world. “This could be the opportunity to open more doors depending on how well we play,” he added.

Discussing the strength of the team, Masaba hailed the balance of his side, with a blend of youth and more experienced players like 43-year-old Franco Nsubuga.

Uganda will open their campaign against Afghanistan on June 3, before taking on Papua New Guinea two days later. They will then face a tough test against the West Indies on June 8, and complete their group matches against New Zealand on June 14.