The Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) has unveiled Abhay Sharma as the new head coach for the senior men’s national team, the Cricket Cranes, ahead of the T20 World Cup.

UCA Chief Executive Officer John Walusimbi confirmed the development on April 23, 2024, at Roza Dymz in Kololo, Kampala.

Sharma succeeds Laurence Mahatlane, whose contract expired in October 2023. Since then, Jackson Ogwang has been serving as an interim coach.

According to Walusimbi, Sharma was among 54 other applicants who showed interest in the position, but because of his vast amount of experience, he was the best candidate.

Sharma is a former first-class cricketer who previously served as the fielding coach for India A and India 19. In addition, he has worked with the Indian women’s cricket team, and his most recent coaching role was with the Delhi Ranji team.

Jackson Kavuma, the UCA’s secretary, said that they selected Sharma for his strong leadership qualities and record.

“We selected Abhay Sharma for his strong leadership qualities and impressive track record of success at professional and international levels. 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,” Kavuma said.

Sharma expressed his appreciation for being given the opportunity to work with the board and the players.

“I would like to thank the UCA board, office bearers, and players for giving me this opportunity to work with the UCA and the youth cricketers. It’s a young nation in the cricket field, but I look forward to this assignment,” Sharma said.

He said that he was grateful to the UCA for the opportunity to work with a bunch of talented national cricketers. Sharma added that being in Uganda for a couple of days has given him a feel of his home country, India.

“The people here are lovely, and the setting is reminiscent of my home country, India. Uganda is a beautiful country. However, 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 developing the team and working with as many young cricketers as possible to build numbers. While Uganda Cricket has performed well in the last 12 months, there are areas, particularly fielding, where we need to improve,” he added.

Sharma was appointed on a three-year contract with the immediate task of preparing the team for their debut in the upcoming 2024 ICC T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA from June 4th–30th.