NEW DELHI: Former first-class cricketer Abhay Sharma is poised to take on the role of head coach for the Uganda national team as they prepare for their debut in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
With a wealth of experience, Abhay has previously served as the fielding coach for India A and India-19s, in addition to his work with the Indian women's cricket team. His most recent coaching role was with the Delhi Ranji team.
Uganda's qualification for the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies came in November, making them the final team to secure a spot in the tournament. Alongside Namibia, who also qualified from the Africa Qualifier, Uganda will be looking to make an impact on the global stage under Abhay's guidance.
"Abhay Sharma has been offered the head coach position with the Uganda national team. He is expected to take charge soon," a source told PTI.
Uganda is gearing up for their T20 World Cup journey with a comprehensive training camp set to commence in Sri Lanka next week. During their fortnight-long stay, they'll engage in practice matches against local teams, fine-tuning their skills and strategies for the upcoming tournament.
This edition of the World Cup marks a historic milestone with a record-breaking 20 teams participating. Alongside Uganda, associate nations such as hosts USA, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Canada, and the Netherlands will grace the tournament.
The teams will be divided into four groups of five, with the top two from each group advancing to the Super Eight phase. Here, they'll be divided into two groups of four, leading to the semi-finals and eventually, the grand finale.
Uganda's T20 World Cup journey will unfold in Guyana and Trinidad. They kick off their campaign against Afghanistan on June 3 in Guyana, followed by clashes against PNG and hosts West Indies on June 5 and June 8 respectively. Their final group stage fixture takes place against New Zealand in Trinidad on June 14.
Securing their maiden World Cup qualification in November, Uganda displayed prowess by triumphing over Rwanda and other formidable opponents like Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and Kenya in the Africa Qualifier, with their only loss to co-qualifier Namibia.
(With PTI inputs)
