Ugandan cricketer and Vice-Captain of the national women’s team, Janet Mbabazi, is a top order batswoman, who has ambitions to represent her country at a World Cup tournament.
Mbabazi is currently a Tourism and Hospitality Management student at Victoria University and is working hard to find a balance between her education and sporting career.
As part of her sporting achievements, Mbabazi was elected as Uganda’s Vice-Captain for the 2019 ICC Women’s Qualifier Africa tournament in Zimbabwe.
She also highlights being nominated amongst formidable players such as Alyssa Healy and Natalie Sciver for ICC Player of the Month award in April 2022 as another standout to date, as well as being honoured as the MVP in the Uganda Cricket Association 2022 National T20 League.
Speaking on her thoughts on closing the visibility gap in the sport, Mbabazi says there should be equal opportunities for both men and women, in terms of preparation, finances as well as access to training facilities.
Speaking with Tlamelo Kganakga, Mbabazi chats more about her journey and the state of cricket in Uganda.
Janet, thank you for chatting to us. Please tell us about yourself and where you are from.
Thank you for chatting with me as well. I am Janet Mbabazi, I smile a lot haha.. I was born and raised in Soroti (eastern Uganda). I have played cricket since I was little and loved it since. I am currently a top order bat and Vice-Captain for the Victoria Pearls. A student at Victoria University studying Tourism and Hospitality Management.
Where did your journey in sport begin?
Soroti. I first held a cricket bat and ball in Soroti. I played in Primary School, High School, then I got selected to the U15 national team in 2009, the U19 national team in 2010-2014. I moved to Entebbe in 2012. I have played for Wanderers Cricket Club/Olila Cricket cCub and now Soroti Challengers Cricket Club.
When you started out, who were some of the women cricketers that motivated you and why?
My sisters. We went to the same Primary School, and I watched them play as a kid. My sister enjoyed the game and I could see it in the way they talked about the games. I also loved that they could travel places just to play, so they motivated me to play. I want to say my mom, too, because she was very supportive.
What are some of the challenges you have faced in your career so far and how have you been able to overcome them?
Juggling school and sport, I have been able to at least manage this by planning my time well. Making time for class, and ensuring my assignments are done on time.
Maintaining a social life. Not that I have got a whole year packed, I’m saying that even a couple of months or half a year, where you have to be at practice every day and games during the weekend can have an effect on one’s social life (I can’t go to class, get togethers or a friend’s important event on Saturdays because my games are on the weekends).
Pressure: currently I have been told that pressure is a privilege. The greatest athletes have been able to embrace pressure and perform well. It is tough to deal with pressure, but I am able to overcome it by talking to psychologists around and following routines. I guess for me, it also comes down to appreciating my opponent, appreciating a good shot or good ball.
What do you think should be done to close the visibility gap in cricket?
I think that there should be equal opportunities for both men and women, in terms of preparation, finances, access to training facilities, etc. So equal number of contracts for both men and women teams, same preparation time.
What has been some of your highlights of your career to date?
Hmm, Victoria Pearls qualifying for the ICC World Cup qualifiers.
Being nominated for the ICC Player of the Month award in April 2022, alongside two of the world’s best cricketers – Alyssa Healy and Natalie Sciver.
Winning the bilateral series in Nepal, the MVP accolade in the bilateral series in Nepal, MVP in the Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) national T20 league 2022 and I think hitting my first six ever in international cricket.
Please tell us about Soroti Challengers Cricket Club?
Humble club, was started in 2018. Soroti Challengers Cricket club (SCCC) were the champions of the Division 2 UCA Women National League. And, they have been playing in Division 1 since 2019.
It’s a team that has got a blend of experienced players and inexperienced players. Half of the players on the teams are from the Soroti Cricket Academy. And, the other half either play for the national team or have played a certain level of cricket. It’s a good blend because there it’s an opportunity for both to learn from each other.
What is the current state of women’s cricket in Uganda?
Women’s cricket in Uganda is slowly thriving, right now they are just rebuilding the women’s team. We have got quite a number of players who debuted this year and we have so far had 2 tours – one to Namibia and Nepal, and we will soon be heading to Rwanda for the Kwibuka tournament.
It’s nice to have more tournaments for the ladies, it gives us the opportunities to play more games which I believe should prepare us for the T20 global qualifiers next year.
The association is trying its best to make sure that the ladies have equal opportunities, especially in terms of preparation for tournaments.
We have also got local leagues for the women, and an elite league which we play towards the end of the year. So, a lot of ladies have opportunity to showcase their talent.
You are also a Tourism and Hospitality student. How do you manage your studies and sport career?
It can be a bit challenging, but if you are able to plan your time well, then it becomes easier. It also requires a lot of discipline, commitment and sacrifice because there are times when I have got classes right after practice or before and times when I have to write exams a few weeks to a tournament, on tour, or just after the tour. So, I need to be disciplined enough to actually attend my classes.
Who are some of the sportswomen you admire and why?
Meg Lanning, she is my role model. I love her batting style, aggressive and classy is how I would describe it. She is a leader, a true one. I think when I started following international cricket, she was captain of the Aussie women’s team and seeing how she’s carried her team to quite a number of World Cup championships to date is just amazing. She has been able to perform for her team every time they needed her to, especially during those pressurizing moments. I find that very admirable!
Joni Frei, my softball coach in 2014/15 and 16, she would travel from Canada to Uganda every now and then to coach. She took us to the world women’s softball championships is 2016. A lot of us had doubts about actually playing on that big stage but she told us two words “WATCH THIS” so she prepared us, encouraged us to work hard and believe in ourselves. She probably doesn’t know this, but she made me a better athlete and she always said, “It’s the little things, work on the little things and you will do well. And when someone doubts your abilities or tells you, you are can’t do this or that…WATCH THIS.”
The Victoria Pearls – they are my teammates, and the best set of teammates/friends I could ever have. I admire their courage, they are very strong and supportive. The Victoria Pearls have struggled with performance from 2019 where we finished in 3rd place in the ICC T20 Africa region qualifiers, 4th place in 2021, losing 6/6 games in the Capricorn tri series in Namibia, but the Victoria Pearls didn’t lose their head, instead they took all the positives, built on them, worked on their weakness and were able to win the bilateral series in Nepal.
What’s your advice to women who aspire to be in sport?
My advice keeps changing😊. Most important thing is to be humble and enjoy what you do.
What is your greatest ambition?
Hmm, I want to score hundreds of runs for Victoria Pearls, to be a part of the team that plays in the World Cup for Uganda and I want to be a role model for the young generation.
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