Set for a debut in the Indian Premier League 2022, the newly formed Lucknow franchise has made its first coaching staff appointment on Friday. As per the press release, former Zimbabwe cricketer Andy Flower has been chosen to lead the yet-to-be-named team as their head coach. Notably, Indian business conglomerate RP Sanjiv Goenka Group (RPSG) had bought the rights to own a team in the annual T20 cricket carnival in August, for around ₹7090 crores.
Chosen for his professionalism: Goenka
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After mentoring the Punjab Kings, as an assistant coach in the last two seasons of IPL, Andy Flower is all set to take the role of the head coach of the debutant Lucknow team next year. The newly-appointed head coach is expected to come to Lucknow in the new year.
“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,”, said Sanjiv Goenka, the owner of the Lucknow IPL team. According to the business tycoon, the decision to choose Andy as the head coach was based on his professionalism.
Incredibly excited to join the franchise: Andy Flower
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Talking about the same, the 53-year-old former cricketer 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”.
“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,” added Flower.
To his credibility, Andy led the Multan Sultanshad to their first win in the Pakistan Super League earlier this year as the team’s head coach. Apart from this, the skilled coach had also led St Lucia Kings to back-to-back two Caribbean Premier League finals in 2020 and 2021. Notably, before plunging into franchise cricket in 2019, Flower had held various coaching roles for 12 years in association with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). This appointment brings the guidance of a world world-class strategist to the Lucknow franchise, with the hope of making a mark in its first-ever IPL session.
