Uganda cricket has run into controversy even before their eagerly anticipated ICC Men’s T20 World Cup debut in the Caribbean and the USA owing to a last-minute change to their official jersey for the tournament to meet the guidelines of the International Cricket Council.
What prompted the ICC to urge the Uganda Cricket Association into making a change to the jersey design?
The Uganda Cricket Association organised a public competition earlier in the year to finalise the design of the senior men’s cricket team’s jersey for the marquee ICC tournament.
After analysing several noteworthy submissions, the apex cricket body of Uganda selected Wanyama Mangeni Elijah’s design. Inspired by the national bird of Uganda – the Grey Crowned Crane, Elijah’s design was an amalgamation of feathered patterns on the sleeves and vibrant colours.
As per Cricket.com.au, Elijah described his work as, “Where elegance meets strength, mirroring Uganda’s resilient spirit. The bold blend of vibrant colours symbolises unity, echoing the national pride. The jersey, with its feather-inspired patterns, pays homage to the majestic crested crane capturing the essence of grace and power.”
Unfortunately, the ICC asked the Uganda Cricket Association to do away with the feathered patterns on the sleeves to make the sponsor logos more evident. The Uganda Cricket Association obliged and changed the design to meet the guidelines.
Uganda’s revamped jersey
While the feathered patterns are still there on the sleeves, they are barely visible from a distance.
The forced change created an uproar on social media platforms with the people of Uganda expressing their displeasure.
A glimpse of the original design
“The ICC asked for a change in the design but we didn’t have enough time to make the required changes and had to compromise on the winning design. We lost just about 20 per cent of the original design, but the rest of the design is the same,” Uganda Cricket Association’s public relations officer Musali Denis was quoted as saying by Cricket.com.au.