Former Delhi and Railways player Abhay Sharma has been appointed as the head coach of Uganda ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Abhay will be leading the preparations for Uganda who are heading into an ICC World Cup in any format for the first time in their cricketing history.
"We selected Abhay Sharma for his strong leadership qualities and impressive track record of success at professional and international levels," said Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) secretary Jackson Kavuma in a press statement.
"His coaching stints with notable teams such as the Delhi Ranji Team, Rest of India, and India A & B in the Deodhar Trophy demonstrate his deep understanding of the game and ability to nurture players."
Abhay hung his playing boots in 2003 and has been involved with the game as a coach. He has had coaching stints with the Indian senior men's cricket team and women's cricket team as a fielding coach.
"I am very grateful to UCA (Uganda Cricket Association) for this opportunity to work with a bunch of talented of national cricketers. Having been in Uganda for just a couple of days, it already feels like my second home," Abhay said.
"I am here to contribute to the team's aspirations, which include defeating the top sides in the world in the upcoming World Cup. Additionally, I intend to focus on the development team and work with as many young cricketers to build numbers.
Abhay wants the Uganda players to lift their fielding standards as it has been an area of concern for them in the recent games.
"While Uganda Cricket has performed well in the last 12 months, there are areas, particularly fielding, where we need to improve. What I have read in the newspapers and what I have seen in the data is that we have lost a couple of opportunities in the field. And yet even after missing out on those chances, we still qualified for the World Cup!
"Imagine how much better we can perform if we address these lapses. With enhanced game awareness and mental fortitude, we can compete with the world's best teams on any given day," Abhay concluded.
Uganda have been placed in Group C alongside Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan, West Indies, and New Zealand. They will kick-start their World Cup campaign against Afghanistan at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on June 4.
