Lalchand Rajput appointed the Head Coach of UAE men's cricket team for three-year term
Published - 21 Feb 2024, 04:31 PM | Updated - 13 Jun 2024, 04:21 PM
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Former Indian cricketer Lalchand Rajput was appointed as the head coach of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) men’s cricket team on Wednesday. The United Arab Emirates Cricket Board signed Lalchand Rajput to a three-year contract to coach the national team.
Lalchand Rajput has achieved success with various international cricket teams. He served as the manager of the Indian team during their victory in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. The former cricketer also coached the Afghanistan and Zimbabwe national teams.
Rajput’s coaching tenure includes pivotal roles with the Afghanistan and Zimbabwe cricket teams, helping them to notable achievements. His leadership secured Test status for Afghanistan and guided Zimbabwe to qualify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2022.
Lalchand Rajput To Take Charge Of The Team This Week
Lalchand Rajput will assume leadership of the UAE men’s team this week, with his inaugural task being the tri-series against Scotland and Canada. The ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 ODI tri-series is set to commence on Wednesday, February 28.
A media statement issued by the Emirates Cricket Board stated, “Rajput officially takes charge of the team this week, his first assignment will be the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 ODI tri-series being hosted in UAE with Scotland and Canada as the other participants.”
Next month, the UAE will host Scotland for an exciting three-match T20I series at the Dubai International Stadium. The matches are scheduled for March 11, 13, and 14. Before the T20I series, the two teams will compete in ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 matches.
UAE Cricket Has A Very Bright Future – Lalchand Rajput
Lalchand Rajput highlighted the UAE’s progress as a formidable Associate Member. Rajput emphasized his commitment to enhancing the team’s performance and guiding them to greater success.
“UAE has emerged to be one of the stronger Associate Members in recent years and the players have put in some good performances in both ODIs and T20Is. The current batch is exceptionally talented and I look forward to working with them and further harnessing their cricket skills,” Rajput said.
“UAE cricket has a very bright future and my goal would be to make the team perform more consistently and take them to the next level which I am very confident they are fully capable of,” he added.
Rajput represented India in six international matches, comprising two Tests and four ODIs. He scored 105 runs in Tests and 9 runs in ODIs. Additionally, he served as the coach of the Mumbai Indians during the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League in 2008.
UAE Men’s Cricket Will Flourish Further – Mubashshir Usmani
Mubashshir Usmani, General Secretary of the Emirates Cricket Board, expressed confidence in Lalchand Rajput’s ability to elevate UAE men’s cricket. He also extended gratitude to Mudassar Nazar for his commendable interim coaching stint.
“We are confident that under his coaching, UAE men’s cricket will flourish further. I also want to take this opportunity to thank Mudassar Nazar for his stellar work as the interim head coach. Mudassar will now return to his role as Head of the National Academy Program where he will continue to identify and groom our future stars,” added Usmani.
Also read: ICC T20 World Cup 2022: “KL Rahul And Rohit Sharma Were Timid In Their Approach”: Lalchand Rajput
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