Mumbai, Sep 17 (IANS): Former New Zealand express pace bowler Shane Bond has been appointed as head coach of MI Emirates for the inaugural edition of UAE's International League T20. He will continue to be in his current role as bowling coach of Indian Premier League (IPL) side Mumbai Indians.
The MI Emirates coaching team includes current Mumbai Indians talent scouts, Parthiv Patel and Vinay Kumar who will debut as coaches -- Parthiv as batting coach, Vinay as bowling coach and former MI all-rounder James Franklin as fielding coach.
In addition, former India player, Robin Singh, has been appointed general manager, cricket, MI Emirates.
"Shane Bond joined Mumbai Indians in 2015 and has since won four titles and in the process built a formidable working style and helping bowlers realise their potential at the global stage. Robin Singh joined the coaching team of Mumbai Indians in 2010 and since then has been part of five IPL and two Champions League campaigns working closely with Shane Bond. Robin's stint with UAE cricket will also help as MI Emirates expands MI's cricket philosophy in the UAE.
"Parthiv Patel has represented Mumbai Indians in the past and since 2020 been a part of the talent scouting team, and Vinay Kumar, who is also a former MI player joined the scouting team in 2021. Both Parthiv and Vinay were a part of Mumbai Indians' winning campaigns in 2015 and 2017," said Mumbai Indians in a statement on Saturday.
Former MI all-rounder and coach James Franklin has also joined MI Emirates as fielding coach. "With a firm grounding in MI, this team will be in a fine position to infuse MI Emirates with all that MI resonates with," the statement added.
"I welcome Shane, Robin, Parthiv, Vinay and James to their new roles in MI Emirates. Having been an integral part of MI for various periods of time, the coaching team is exceptionally well-versed in the values that make MI what it is. I'm sure they would be able to build MI Emirates as a team that attracts the love of passionate MI fans," said Akash M. Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Jio Infocomm.
"It's a privilege to be appointed the Head Coach of MI Emirates. It's always exciting to build a new team and I'm looking forward to furthering the MI legacy and inspiring our players to take the game to new heights," said Shane Bond.
MI Emirates announced its team ahead of the inaugural edition of UAE's International League T20. The squad will be based out of Abu Dhabi, and includes a mix of current and past MI players, with new stars also joining the squad.