Karavadra wants to feel the vibes in lady cricketers
What you need to know:
- No wonder Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) did more than look at it twice, look away and wipe the smiles off their faces as the concerned stakeholders unanimously voted to bring the gaffer to the Pearl of Africa ahead of 17 other older applicants.
For a 29-year-old, Suraj Karavadra’s CV makes for a collector’s masterpiece. It is a complete equation.
No wonder Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) did more than look at it twice, look away and wipe the smiles off their faces as the concerned stakeholders unanimously voted to bring the gaffer to the Pearl of Africa ahead of 17 other older applicants.
The man who prefers to be called “Coach” or simply “SK” – from initials of his name – is on the wheel and must steer the Lady Cricket Cranes ship to shores it has not reached before in his two-year term.
Fun-filled sessions
“I will only speak 20 percent of the time and the 80 percent bit will be for the players,” said the British Indian national, who started out as a gaffer 10 years ago.
“I am a coach who likes the players to speak and express themselves more than me. We are going to have a lot of fun during my sessions because that’s the only way ladies can grasp things quickly and love this game more.
“We shall always have a bluetooth speaker at all sessions and our warm-ups shall be a mix of strength and conditioning drills with dance routines. The bowlers and batsmen’s drills shall also have a strength and conditioning aspect to them,” disclosed the former United Arab Emirates tactician.
SK, a wicketkeeper cum batsman in his heyday, didn’t have a long playing career as he was injury-prone.
But like any passionate fellow, he knew he would give back to the Gentleman’s Game by earning the tutoring badges and forthwith coaching.
Earning the badges
At College of West Angila in United Kingdom, Karavadra merited in BTEC Sports having majored in development, fitness and coaching between 2008-2010 before attending University of Bedfordshire where he undertook Sports Science and Coaching from 2010-2013.
In between, he had been thrown right at the deep end at Nottinghamshire and then Buckinghamshire where he got first-hand direct involvement with females from all age categories.
“I’ve a got a good range of experience in women cricket and it’s where my passion is – pushing women cricket to the next level and in this case for Uganda to the international level,” Karavadra said.
“It is all about implementing the right structure and we shall be one of the best teams,” added the man who boasts of a rich Ugandan history dating way back in the 1900s and whose father was born in Jinja.
“I’ve had a big conversation with the ladies and it is about finding out what they need and facilitating them. They’re all jolly and passionate about the game and need all the support to help them execute to their full potential.”
The gems to polish. Karavadra paid a courtesy call on the Lady Cricket Cranes training camp at Kyambogo Oval soon after his unveiling two weeks ago. PHOTOS | EDDIE CHICCO
Bumper schedule on card
Karavadra is yet to see the Jinja and Soroti-based girls brigade that have been under the tutelage of Sri-Lanka-trained youthful coach Ivan Kakande. And because they’re more athletic, his eyes will lighten up when he sees them go about business on the field of play with verve and skill.
The latest foreign gaffer in town was over the moon for his hometown football club Leicester City’s triumph over Chelsea in the English FA Cup final over two weeks ago but with the exciting brand of cricket that the girls play, he could catch bigger fish by the time his two-year contract runs out.
For now, he must work to get his Ugandan chapter off to a flier when he takes the 2017 African Champions to Kigali for the International Cricket Council (ICC)-sanctioned Kwibuka Women’s International Twenty20 Tournament in Rwanda next month.
Looming will be the Victoria Cup Series in Kampala later in August and the coveted ICC Africa Twenty20 Qualifiers due September in Botswana.
Karavadra has told all and sundry that he would love to stay in Uganda as Lady Cricket Cranes coach beyond the two-year contract. But if he accomplishes whatever is on his full plate, maybe and maybe he’ll live his dream.
Experience
2011 Porbandar District Cricket Association, India – U-16 Head Coach
2013-2015 Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club - Community Cricket Coach
2014 Porbandar District Cricket Association, India - Head Coach Men’s Team
2015-17 Buckinghamshire Cricket Board - Cricket Development Officer
2017-20 ICC Academy, Dubai - High Performance and Development Coach
2018-19 UAE Men’s, Women’s U19 Wicket Keeping Coach - Preparing Wicket Keepers for U19 Asia Cup.
2020 Leicestershire County Cricket Club - Assistant Women’s coach
Scheduled tourneys
June 3-13: Kwibuka Women’s T20 International Tournament, Kigali - Rwanda
August 2021: Victoria Cup Series, Kampala – Uganda
Sept. 2021: ICC Africa Twenty20 Qualifiers, Gaborone – Botswana
TBC: 2022 Commonwealth Games T20 Qualifier
