Uganda’s cricket team made their T20 World Cup debut against Afghanistan on Monday. It was a historic moment for the African nation and a learning experience. They lost the match by 125 runs but their captain, Brian Masaba, cherished the experience, especially hearing the national anthem.

“It’s a moment that I will cherish for the rest of my life…”

Uganda won the toss and chose to bowl first. Afghanistan’s openers put on a strong partnership and scored a big total of 183 runs. Uganda’s batsmen struggled in reply and were bowled out for just 58 runs. Despite the loss, Masaba praised Afghanistan’s all-around performance and said his team is focused on bouncing back in their next match. He said, “Special moment to hear our national anthem and see our flag at the World Cup. It’s a moment that I will cherish for the rest of my life.”

“They got a pretty good start. It was about fighting back and I thought we pulled it back pretty well at the end with the ball. Credit to them for playing well. One of the top bowling sides. Good seamers and quality spinners. We will look to bounce back better against PNG,” he added.

Lovely moments to start the game as Ugandan skipper Brian Masaba presented a special souvenir and a cap to Afghanistan skipper @RashidKhan_19, honoring the 1st international match between the two teams. 🤩🤝#AfghanAtalan | #T20WorldCup | #AFGvUGA | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam pic.twitter.com/4KvO50WRnq

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) June 4, 2024

Uganda skipper gifts Rashid Khan ‘Memento’ and opens up after the match

This was the first time Uganda and Afghanistan played each other. Before the match, Uganda presented Afghanistan’s captain Rashid Khan with a memento and a cap to mark the special occasion. Uganda had qualified for the World Cup in November 2023 after defeating Zimbabwe and Rwanda in the qualifiers.

See Also: T20 World Cup 2024, Match 5: Fazalhaq Farooqi takes a fifer, Afghanistan beat Uganda by 125 runs

Moreover, in the post-match press conference and said, “No, not at all in the context of the game I thought it was a good decision. They are a side that loves chasing, we’ve seen that from history, and we backed ourselves to go out there and bowl well and try and restrict them. Unfortunately, our execution wasn’t that great and they got off to a flyer, but we pulled the game back in the second half of our bowling innings. And I look back at that decision and I don’t think it was a bad decision.”