Uganda seal spot in T20 World Cup; Zimbabwe fail to qualify

Windhoek [Namibia]: Team Uganda on Thursday created history as they qualified for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 and will become only the fifth African nation to feature in the tournament on Thursday. This will be their first-ever appearance in an ICC World Cup event. 

Historic scenes in Windhoek as the Cricket Cranes finish above Zimbabwe to qualify alongside Namibia for next year’s tournament. With five wins from their six games, Uganda secured a top-two finish in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Region Qualifier after they beat Rwanda in the last round of matches in the Africa leg of the qualifiers. 

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe have been knocked out of contention for a spot in next year’s marquee tournament. 

In the first match of the qualifier, Uganda easily defeated Tanzania by eight wickets. But Namibian all-rounder David Wiese’s outstanding 4/17 in the subsequent match condemned them to a six-wicket loss. 

The African team triumphed spectacularly, overcoming Zimbabwe by five wickets. While Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza’s 48* was the highlight of his team’s performance, Uganda’s bowling attack, spearheaded by Dinesh Nakrani (3/14), held the Chevrons to 136/7. 

Both Alpesh Ramjani (40) and Riazat Ali Shah (42) led the Cricket Cranes during the chase. They pulled off a huge upset in cricket by winning with five wickets remaining. 
In their fourth match, the team easily defeated Nigeria by 9 wickets. They then defeated Kenya by 33 runs to secure a spot in the T20 World Cup on Thursday. 

They easily defeated Rwanda by nine wickets to guarantee the same. With outstanding bowling, they bowled Rwanda out for just 65 runs. By the ninth over mark, the target was being pursued.

Earlier, Namibia became the first team from the Africa Region Qualifier to qualify for the 2024 T20 World Cup with a 58-run victory over Tanzania on Tuesday. The win secured Namibia’s spot in the tournament, which will be held in the US and West Indies.