Former Australian cricketer Rachael Haynes has been appointed as the head coach of Gujarat Giants for the upcoming inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL).
Notably, in September last year, Haynes bid farewell to international cricket after representing Australia in 6 Tests, 77 ODIs, and 84 T20Is. Haynes won the 50-over World Cup held in New Zealand and received the gold medal in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. The Aussie legend last appeared for the Sydney Thunder in the previous edition of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL).
“The Women’s Premier League is such an exciting addition to the cricket landscape. The opportunity to be involved in the inaugural season with the Adani Sportline-owned Gujarat Giants and work with the brilliant Mithali Raj is something I’m really looking forward to,” Haynes said in a statement.
“We have formed a wonderful coaching team, with Nooshin Al Khadeer, Tushar Arothe, and Gavan Twining, who will be bringing on board their rich experience, which will help the team to play an exciting brand of cricket which our fans will enjoy watching,” She added.
The Adani Group-owned franchise has also picked ex-India spinner Nooshin Al Khadeer as the bowling coach, while all-rounder Tushar Arothe and Gavan Twining were named their batting and fielding coaches, respectively. Al Khadeer recently coached the Indian U19 team that won the Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa by beating England in the summit clash.
Earlier, the Giants named retired Indian batter Mithali Raj as the mentor of the team. Mithali was also delighted with the appointment of Al Khadeer, Arothe, Twining, and Haynes.
“The likes of Rachael Haynes, Nooshin Al Khadeer, Tushar Arothe, and Gavan Twining will certainly take the performance of the team notches up. Not only have they carved a niche for themselves in their roles, but their stories of resilience will be an inspiration for the team,” said Mithali.
