Tags: WPL,
Gujarat Giants
Published on: Feb 04, 2023
Gautam Adani-owned Gujarat Giants on Friday, February 3 appointed Australia’s Rachael Haynes as head coach ahead of the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL). The Giants also added Nooshin Al Khadeer to their coaching staff. Khadeer was bowling coach of India’s winning U19 World Cup squad
Purchased for Rs 1289 crore, Gujarat Giants is the most expensive of five franchise in the WPL. Before Haynes, they had already signed former India captain Mithali Raj as their mentor and advisor. Former women’s team coach Tushar Arothe is the batting coach and Gavan Twining the fielding coach.
Reacting to the appointments, Mithali commented, “Not only have they carved a niche for themselves in their roles, but their stories of resilience will be an inspiration for the team. Their combined strengths will enable Gujarat Giants to give their best performance on the ground at the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League, which will inspire several aspiring women athletes.”
Haynes, a legend of women’s cricket, won six world championship crowns with the Australian women’s team. She was also vice-captain of the team for half a decade, from 2017 to 2022. The 36-year-old represented Australia in 77 ODIs and 84 T20Is, scoring 2585 and 850 runs respectively. She was a key member of the team that won the 2018 and 2020 T20 World Cups. She announced her retirement in September 2022.
Haynes, who also featured in Australia’s 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup triumph in New Zealand, said about her appointment, “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.
“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.
Apart from representing Australia, Haynes has also turned out for the Sydney Thunder in the Women’s Big Bash League. The left-handed batter also featured in six Tests, scoring 383 runs at an average of 34.81, with a best of 98.
–By A Cricket Correspondent