Ssenyondo snub raises eyebrows ahead of Pearl T20 Series
As for Henry Ssenyondo, the reason for his absence from Uganda’s side for the upcoming Pearl of Africa T20 Series is, depending on who’s telling the story, either sensible or suspicious.
Henry Ssenyondo’s absence has sparked suspicions and tension within the squad. (Courtesy Photo)
By Charles Mutebi
Journalists @New Vision
_______________
Pearl of Africa T20 Series (Entebbe, July 15-27)
Teams: Uganda, Kenya, Namibia & UAE
___________
Skipper Riazat Shah is out injured, while Fred Achelam, Pascal Murungi, and Kenneth Waiswa have been overlooked, reportedly on grounds of ill form.
As for Henry Ssenyondo, the reason for his absence from Uganda’s side for the upcoming Pearl of Africa T20 Series is, depending on who’s telling the story, either sensible or suspicious.
Ssenyondo has been bypassed by the selectors for Mathew Musinguzi because, as one insider put it, “they want to prepare Mathew for the future”.
That makes sense if you consider that Ssenyondo's place in the setup is not in real danger, as he is the most accomplished bowler in the Cricket Cranes team, ranking 11th on the list of all-time wicket takers in T20 cricket.
The reason given is that this is the perfect time for Musinguzi to get his senior career underway.
“You certainly cannot give him a chance in the qualifiers,” said the insider.
Still, if Musinguzi has been selected with the future in mind, how about Frank Nsubuga? His presence on the team defeats such a purpose.
Consequently, Ssenyondo’s absence has sparked suspicions of something deeper than the objective of blooding Musinguzi into the senior setup.
Perhaps it is the long-standing tensions that developed in the course of Uganda’s World Cup campaign between the squad and the authorities that are at play.
Uganda squad
Miyagi (skipper), R. Obuya, R. Dhawan, F. Nsubuga, M. Musinguzi, D. Nakrani, A. Ramjani, S. Mangela, C. Kyewuta, C. Kakuru, R. Lutaaya, I. Mwebaze. J. Baguma & Calvin Watuwa