Former UAE captain Ahmed Raza has been appointed head coach of the country’s men’s cricket team, with Lalchand Rajput stepping down after nearly three years in charge. “I am honoured to have been chosen for this exciting role and look forward to beginning my new innings. I want to thank the ECB for granting me this opportunity. As a former national captain, I fully understand what it means to represent the UAE at the highest level.”
During his playing career, Raza captained the UAE in 29 of his 53 ODIs and 27 of his 55 T20Is. Raza also served as head coach of Dubai Capitals during the Global Super League in Guyana in 2025.
He previously coached the UAE women’s team for three years and has also worked with Dubai Capitals in the ILT20 and Southern Brave in The Hundred.
Former UAE captain Ahmed Raza has been appointed head coach of the country’s men’s team. Raza comes into the top role as Lalchand Rajput stepped down after almost three years in charge.
My aim will be to build on the good work done in recent years and take the team to the next level,” Raza said in a statement on Friday. “The current team is full of highly skilled and experienced players as well as some exciting youngsters who will take the team forward. Raza’s first assignment will be the eight-team World Cup Qualifier Play-off in Kathmandu next month, where the UAE’s ODI status will be on the line. The tournament clashes with the ILT20, meaning several UAE players could be forced to choose between national duty and lucrative franchise contracts. Under Rajput’s tenure, the UAE finished at the bottom of the Cricket World Cup League Two standings, although they ended the campaign with three consecutive victories. “These achievements were the result of the collective efforts, commitment and hard work of the players, support staff and management. I firmly believe that UAE cricket has great potential, and I wish the team every success in its future endeavours. “Ahmed Raza has already proven his worth as a capable head coach, and under him the UAE women made rapid progress. We are confident that he will make a significant impact and take the men’s team forward. We wish him the very best in his new role,” Abbas added.
I hope the progress we have made will provide a strong foundation for continued success,” Rajput said.
The side also qualified for this year’s Men’s T20 World Cup in India and last year’s Asia Cup, in addition to securing a bilateral T20I series win over Bangladesh.
