Page 53 - LionKing

CRICKET
THE OVER-LOOKED GREATEST SPORT?
By Funso Ero-Phillips & Jackie Tumuhairwe
With over 2.5 billion estimated
global fans, cricket ranks as
the second most popular sport “
in the world... of course after football. Developed in 16th Century England, cricket was made a national sport in the 18th century and spread to their colonies across Asia, Africa and the Caribbean in the 19th and 20th century.
In the present day, the game is wide-
ly played throughout New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the English-speaking islands of the West Indies. While in Africa, cricket is enjoyed and played in Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Brian Mark Masaba, the vice-captain of
Cricket makes you think on your feet by combining different skills, by introducing the game to high schools we will be able to identify talents at a young age and produce more intelligent students.”
the Ugandan Team, believes that there is a lot of potential for the game in Africa.
“Cricket is a thinker’s game... unlike other sports, a cricketer has to combine different skills at the same time - batting, throwing, bowling, catching, running and strategy,” says Brian who gives us an insight into the life of a professional crick- et player.
28-year-old Brian Masaba is a passion- ate cricket player. He started playing in high school, when one of his friends who played cricket at junior level introduced him to the game. Brian’s appreciation and passion for the game which is now his favourite sport, has grown through the years. He has built a successful career in the game, “the first time I captained my country gave me so much joy and fulfil- ment,” Brian acknowledges as he rumi- nates on how far he has come.
“Most sports are mental but, for example, in football, most of the tactics are thought by the coaches and the technical team, which is different from cricket. You think as you play. In fact, I personally think cricket as the greatest sport ever invent- ed,” says Brian.
Brian is an all-round sportsman. “I play a couple of other sports like football, bas- ketball, volleyball... once you’re a sports- man your flexible though there’s that one favourite sport.”
Agreed, cricket is not as popular as football in Africa. There is obviously an urgent need for African governments and private sector players to invest more in the sport, as well as most other sports in the continent. Brian strongly believes that investing in the Cricket clubs, facilities,
structures, training and much more will attract and build good players who will make the game more exciting and the industry more lucrative. He also suggests that introducing the game to high schools across the continent can help create a more inclusive attitude in competitive sports.
“Like I mentioned earlier, cricket makes you think on your feet by combining dif- ferent skills, by introducing the game to high schools we will be able to identify talents at a young age and produce more intelligent students.”
“In Europe, athletes earn much more than executives and corporates locally, so like
I mentioned initially, the industry needs to be invested in to that level of profession- alism and competitiveness,” he continues.
Brian strongly believes that the game of cricket has changed and appreciation for the game increased over the years. “When I started playing cricket, we played in white uniforms and used red balls but now, we wear coloured uniforms and use pink balls for day night tests. Also, locally, the fans have grown and this is quite encouraging. I remember at the just concluded T20 world cup quali- fier in Kampala, the crowd at the game between Uganda and Kenya was mas- sive and vocal. It was incredible playing at home with that support behind us.”
The future of cricket in Uganda looks bright, really. “The fan base is growing, which means we are doing something right. It can only get better,” says Brian optimistically.
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Brian Mark Masaba