ABU DHABI, April 16: Former Indian player Syed Abid Ali has been appointed as coach of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) for a period of three months, with effect from May 1, 2002.

Abid, who served Indian cricket from 1967 to 1979, was the coach of the Andhra Pradesh which won the South Zone Ranji Championship earlier this season.

The main task before the new coach will be to ensure the defence of the title by the UAE team in the ACC Trophy to be held in Singapore in July this year.

Abid has scored 14 centuries while making 8,391 runs and taking 387 wickets in First Class cricket. In the 29 Tests he has played for India, the Hyderabad all-rounder has scored 1,018 runs and claimed 47 wickets.—PPI