Afghanistan vs Uganda,
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One team on the rise and another already, if not at the summit of the
game, at least comfortably ensconced at base camp, Uganda and
Afghanistan will meet for the first time in an official T20I in Guyana
to mark the former's World Cup debut.
South America was the scene of their last official match too, though the pair have never played a full status international. Uganda were one of the few teams to get the better of the Afghans during their meteoric rise through the divisions of the World Cricket League. The pair's first and to date last meeting in ICC competition at the 2009 WCL Division 3 at the ground of the St. Albans Club in Buenos Aires, where a then 28 year-old Frank Nsubuga hit a counter-attacking 62 off 44 down the order to set up a 14-run win for Uganda's cricket Cranes. The 43 year-old offspinner Nsubuga and other elder statesmen of this tournament, Aghanistan's Mohammad Nabi, are the only members of their respective squads that featured in that match.
Both teams would qualify from there for the subsequent World Cup Qualifier, but while Afghanistan' s onward trajectory tracked ever upward, Uganda slipped back into the Associate pack and would not earn a place at a pinnacle event for another decade and a half. This will be their first competitive encounter in the T20 format, having been drawn in opposite groups at the 2012 and 2013 T20 Global Qualifiers, though they played a warm-up against one another at the latter, which Afghanistan won comfortably.
A similar result is the consensus expectation for their Group C encounter, with conditions likely to play to the Afghans' slow-bowling strengths. A spin unit that boasts global stars in Rashid, Nabi and Mujeeb has seen the Afghans tipped as dark-horse semi-finalists this time round, despite a batting line-up which, Ramanullah Gurbaz aside, has been in indifferent form.
While Uganda arrive at the tournament in the habit of winning, having played 35 T20Is in the past year and won all but five of them. All 35 of those were played closer to home however, and Uganda's record outside of Africa is less impressive. Coming up against a full member for only the second time in their history (the first being the win over Zimbabwe that won them their place here) at a venue which will be as familiar to much of the Afghan side as it is new to Uganda is a tough assignment first up for the Cricket Cranes.
When: Afghanistan vs Uganda, June 04, 8:30pm Local, 6am IST
Where: Providence Stadium, Guyana
What to expect: Traditionally one of the most spin-friendly venues in the West Indies, albeit often offering some assistance for seam early. The PNG seamers especially had West Indies on the back foot against a swinging new ball. An average first innings score
South America was the scene of their last official match too, though the pair have never played a full status international. Uganda were one of the few teams to get the better of the Afghans during their meteoric rise through the divisions of the World Cricket League. The pair's first and to date last meeting in ICC competition at the 2009 WCL Division 3 at the ground of the St. Albans Club in Buenos Aires, where a then 28 year-old Frank Nsubuga hit a counter-attacking 62 off 44 down the order to set up a 14-run win for Uganda's cricket Cranes. The 43 year-old offspinner Nsubuga and other elder statesmen of this tournament, Aghanistan's Mohammad Nabi, are the only members of their respective squads that featured in that match.
Both teams would qualify from there for the subsequent World Cup Qualifier, but while Afghanistan' s onward trajectory tracked ever upward, Uganda slipped back into the Associate pack and would not earn a place at a pinnacle event for another decade and a half. This will be their first competitive encounter in the T20 format, having been drawn in opposite groups at the 2012 and 2013 T20 Global Qualifiers, though they played a warm-up against one another at the latter, which Afghanistan won comfortably.
A similar result is the consensus expectation for their Group C encounter, with conditions likely to play to the Afghans' slow-bowling strengths. A spin unit that boasts global stars in Rashid, Nabi and Mujeeb has seen the Afghans tipped as dark-horse semi-finalists this time round, despite a batting line-up which, Ramanullah Gurbaz aside, has been in indifferent form.
While Uganda arrive at the tournament in the habit of winning, having played 35 T20Is in the past year and won all but five of them. All 35 of those were played closer to home however, and Uganda's record outside of Africa is less impressive. Coming up against a full member for only the second time in their history (the first being the win over Zimbabwe that won them their place here) at a venue which will be as familiar to much of the Afghan side as it is new to Uganda is a tough assignment first up for the Cricket Cranes.
When: Afghanistan vs Uganda, June 04, 8:30pm Local, 6am IST
Where: Providence Stadium, Guyana
What to expect: Traditionally one of the most spin-friendly venues in the West Indies, albeit often offering some assistance for seam early. The PNG seamers especially had West Indies on the back foot against a swinging new ball. An average first innings score
of 128 tells you there's something there for
everyone except new batters, even if there's shots to be made once
you're in. Tuesday may see some scattered showers around too, but the
worst of the weather isn't expected to hit till later in the week.
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