In a first major announcement by one of the two new teams, the Lucknow Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise have announced their head coach going into the 2022 season. Former Zimbabwe cricketer Andy Flower has been appointed as the team’s supremo going into the new season and mega auction.
Flower, who left his role as the assistant coach of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) after the 2021 season will take charge of the new team in their first season in the league. He worked with the franchise for two seasons after joining Anil Kumble’s coaching staff ahead of the 2020 IPL in UAE.
Various media reports have suggested that KL Rahul will be picked by the team as one of their three pre-auction picks and is likely to lead the team. If that happens, Rahul and Flower will be re-united after working together at PBKS.
The RPSG group, who own the franchise made the announcement on Friday evening after getting permission from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (India) amid the uncertainty over the Ahmedabad franchise’s ownership.
In a statement, the team’s owner Sanjiv Goenka lavished praise on Flower saying, “As a player and a coach Andy has left an indelible mark in the history of cricket. We respect his professionalism and hope he will work with our vision and add value to our team.”
Meanwhile, Flower also expressed his excitement at his appointment with the new franchise. “I am incredibly excited to be joining the new Lucknow franchise and I am very grateful for the opportunity. Since my very first tour to India in 1993, I have always loved touring, playing and coaching in India. The passion for cricket in India is unrivalled and it is a real privilege to lead an IPL franchise and I am looking forward to working closely with Dr Goenka and the Lucknow team,” he said.
“I will relish the challenge to build something meaningful and successful with the Lucknow franchise, I am looking forward to meeting the management and staff when I visit Uttar Pradesh in the New Year,” added Flower.
Flower has a rich coaching experience in franchise T20 leagues as apart from his stint with PBKS, he led Multan Sultans to their maiden Pakistan Super title earlier this year. He also spearheaded St Lucia Kings’ charge to back-to-back Caribbean Premier League finals in 2020 and 2021.
