Brian Masaba

International career

Brian Masaba, born on 12 September 1991, is a cricketer from Uganda. He is the captain of the Uganda national cricket team. Throughout his career, Brian has been a key player and leader for Uganda, guiding the team in many important international matches. His dedication to the sport and leadership on the field have helped bring Uganda’s cricket team to the global stage.

2014

• Cricket World Cup Qualifier Tournament: Brian represented Uganda in the 2014 Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament.

2015

• Captaincy: Masaba became the captain of Uganda's national cricket team. The team was going through a transition, with many new players. Even though the team faced challenges, Brian's leadership helped keep them moving forward.

2018

• Vice-Captaincy: Brian was appointed vice-captain for Uganda in the 2018 ICC World Cricket League Division Four tournament held in Malaysia.
• ICC World Twenty20 Africa Qualifier: He was part of the team in the 2018-19 ICC World Twenty20 Africa Qualifier tournament.
• Vice-Captain: Masaba also served as vice-captain during the 2018 Africa T20 Cup and the ICC World Cricket League Division Three tournament in Oman.

2019

• T20I Debut: Brian played his first T20I match for Uganda on May 23, 2019, against Ghana at the Kampala ground.
• T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier: He joined Uganda's squad for the Regional Finals of the ICC T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier tournament in May 2019.
• Ugandan Training Squad: Brian was part of the 25-player training squad for the Cricket World Cup Challenge League fixtures in Hong Kong in July 2019.

November 2019

• Captaincy: Brian was named the captain of Uganda’s national team for the 2019 Oman Cricket World Cup Challenge League B tournament.

2021

• T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier: In November 2021, Masaba was appointed captain of Uganda for the Regional Final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier tournament in Rwanda.

2022

• World Cup Challenge League B: Brian captained Uganda in the 2022 Uganda Cricket World Cup Challenge League B tournament.
• Team Success: Under his leadership, the team showed progress and qualified for the Global Qualifiers, breaking a 13-year wait. They later qualified for the World Cup in Namibia.

2024

• ICC Men’s T20 World Cup: In May 2024, Brian was named captain of Uganda’s squad for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup tournament.
• Retirement: After Uganda’s poor performance in the World Cup, with only one win from four Group C matches, Brian announced his retirement from international cricket.

Leagues Participation

Brian Masaba has not participated in any professional cricket leagues during his career. 

Domestic career

Brian Masaba started his cricket career as a medium pacer, able to move the ball both ways. He quickly gained respect among his peers for his skills. His strong fielding also stood out, and he later played a key role in a run-out that helped Uganda qualify for the World Cup.

When Masaba realized his medium pace couldn’t secure him a place on the national team, he adapted by learning leg spin. In T20 cricket, where power dominates, he found success by mastering this new skill and became good at spinning the ball away from both right- and left-handed batsmen.

Masaba played for several domestic teams, including Gold, Challengers CC, Telugu Royals, and IPRC Kigali CC. In the RCA T20 Cup on May 7, 2023, he played for Telugu Royals. In that match, Telugu Royals scored 84 runs, and Masaba made a valuable contribution with 55 runs off 28 balls, achieving a strike rate of 196.43.

Records and achievements

Brian Masaba has achieved several milestones in his T20 career. Here are some of his key records and accomplishments:

• T20 Career
  • Played 10 matches
  • Scored 16 runs with an average of 5
  • Hit 1 four and no sixes
  • In his last match against New Zealand in June 2024, he scored 3 runs from 20 balls.
• Match against Rwanda
  • Date: August 20, 2023
  • Scored 37 runs from 23 balls
• Match against Tanzania
  • Date: August 30, 2023
  • Took 3 wickets and scored 8 runs
• Awards
  • Won the Best Cricketer Award at the Fortebet Real Stars Sports Monthly Awards in June 2024.

Brian Masaba's leadership has left a lasting mark on Uganda’s cricket history. His greatest achievement was leading the team to its first-ever World Cup qualification. Even though his personal performance sometimes went unnoticed, his dedication and leadership skills helped Uganda rise on the world stage. His retirement after the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup marks the end of an era, but his legacy will remain strong. The team will now look for new leaders, but Brian’s influence will continue to inspire the next generation of Ugandan cricketers.

Personal life

Brian Masaba is not only a well-known cricketer but also a family man. He comes from a sporting family, where his siblings also play volleyball. Here’s a look at his personal life.

Family

Masaba is married and has children. His family has always supported his cricket journey.

Finance

As of 2023, Masaba’s estimated net worth is $2 million. His wealth comes from his cricket career, sponsorships, and other sources.

Scandals

In 2024, Masaba stepped down as the captain of the Uganda cricket team after their poor performance at the T20 World Cup. Uganda won just one out of four group matches. Despite the results, Masaba said that lower-tier teams should have more chances to play against higher-tier teams. He also mentioned that his team made too many mistakes but did not regret his decision to bat first in their opening match.

Fans

Masaba has a strong fan base that follows him from different parts of the world. In 2024, he talked about how many fans travel long distances to watch his matches. Many Ugandans stay up late to watch his games, even until 3:30 or 4:30 in the morning. His Instagram account has around 1.4k followers, although it is unclear if it is his official account.