Pakistan-born Riazat Ali Shah aims high for Uganda at T20 World Cup 2024

JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL

Riazat Ali Shah, originally from Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, is gearing up to represent Uganda at the T20 World Cup 2024. Starting his cricket journey with Islamabad and Gilgit Baltistan U19s, Riazat is now set to make waves on the international stage.

For Riazat, the chance to play at such a high level holds immense significance, especially considering his roots in Gilgit-Baltistan. He sees it as a dream come true to compete in a World Cup, something no one from his region has done before.

“It means a lot to me, especially considering where I have come from. Like, no one from Gilgit-Baltistan has played at this level of cricket. This is the biggest stage of cricket and personally, it was a dream for me – to play a World Cup. Plus, here, it was the dream for everyone for a very long time and achieving it was a dream come true,” Riazat said.

Having debuted for Uganda in 2019, Riazat has now been appointed vice-captain for the upcoming tournament. He's eager to showcase his skills against formidable opponents and help Uganda make a mark on the world stage.

Riazat's ambitions extend beyond personal success; he's determined to contribute to Uganda's performance in the tournament. He aims to be a standout player and earn recognition globally for his talent and hard work.

“If you are going to the World Cup, you need to win every game. As a team, we wish to do well and show the world the talent we have on our side. I am keen to show the world what I can do with my all-round skills and perform well against the big teams," he further added.

“Whenever I come to the ground, I just want to be the best and be different from others so that opposition teams are like, ‘This is the guy who we want to watch out for’. Whenever I play, I want to be up there, always," Riazat continued.

Apart from his aspirations to excel on the field for Uganda, Riazat has an additional goal he hopes to achieve during the T20 World Cup — to meet Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli.

“If presented a chance, he [Virat Kohli] is the only person I wish to meet in the World Cup. His work ethic, discipline – it’s right up there at the top. I want to learn how he maintains discipline and focus towards his cricket. The one thing I really admire about Virat is, how he’s never lost focus at any stage of his playing career,” he concluded.

The T20 World Cup adventure begins for Uganda on June 3 against Afghanistan in Guyana.

Uganda squad:

Brian Masaba (c), Simon Ssesazi, Roger Mukasa, Cosmas Kyewuta, Dinesh Nakrani, Fred Achelam, Kenneth Waiswa, Alpesh Ramjani, Frank Nsubuga, Henry Ssenyondo, Bilal Hassun, Robinson Obuya, Riazat Ali Shah (vc), Juma Miyaji, Ronak Patel.