That procedure has led Uganda to cricket’s international degree, the place they are going to compete in a gaggle with co-hosts West Indies, Fresh Zealand, Afghanistan and Papua Fresh Guinea.

They aren’t the lowest-ranked aspect on this expanded 20-team Global Cup – they’re twenty second on the earth standings, a playground above Canada – however they’re the one crew showing at their first primary match.

Their squad options 43-year-old Frank Nsubuga, an all-rounder who made his debut in 1997 – 5 years ahead of James Anderson made his global bow.

“Frank loves cricket,” Masaba says. “It is his life and why he has given 25 years to the game.

“I constituent probably the most causes for qualification to short of to do it for him.”

Opener Simon Ssesazi, whose hero is Chris Gayle and who refers to himself on social media as ‘The Tiger’, is Uganda’s leading T20 run-scorer aged 27.

They also have two young quicks, 22-year-old Cosmas Kyewuta and Juma Miyaji, 21, capable of bowling in excess of 80mph, while no-one in the world took more T20 international wickets in 2023 than their spinner Alpesh Ramjani.

Ramjani, 29, is one of a group of Asia-born cricketers who moved to Uganda for work but have since qualified via the International Cricket Council’s residency rules.

Another, all-rounder Dinesh Nakrani, made his T20 debut for his state in a match that also featured Cheteshwar Pujara. Later that year, he bowled Hardik Pandya in an Under-23s game.

“Uganda is an overly seen nation so those guys haven’t any weakness bonding with the crew,” Masaba says.

“Probably the most keys to our luck is we’ve got had a core team that has performed in combination for a protracted while.”

In 32-year-old Masaba, who made his debut in 2011, they have a captain who speaks like a statesman as he assesses the “unbalanced” few months since qualification, and what might happen next.

“We would like in order a tiny little bit of our tradition to the arena degree,” he says.

“We intend to hold with us somewhat of our Ugandan-ness, which is that we’re more than pleased community, very welcoming, jolly and really vigorous.

“That is how we like to play our cricket.”

Masaba speaks of Uganda’s “unique opportunity” to develop the sport however is eager to manufacture a ordinary plea to the ICC.

“We can only be as good as the teams we play against,” he says.

“That game against Zimbabwe, the closest we get to play a Test nation, was the first time we have played them in 10 years.

“That paints an image of ways juiceless it’s for a folk like Uganda to get attribute opposition.”

Masaba’s squad – who were recently awarded central contracts, a rarity for any sport in the country – have had to cram in as much cricket as possible in recent months, around their part-time jobs.

They have travelled to India to play club and state sides and made two trips to Sri Lanka to face developmental XIs. They have been taking more catches, spending more time in the nets and lifting more weights in the gym.

“We’ve got needed to regulate as avid gamers,” Masaba says. “It has given us a style of what a certified cricketer’s month must be like.

“I am hoping a couple of guys can put in performances and get picked up by the franchise leagues around the world.

“That will be plenty for Ugandan cricket – it would encourage the nearest day.”

Masaba isn’t the only one with an impressive boss.

Fourteen Uganda cricketers within the Caribbean have one too.