Karachi Kings Rope In West Indies Great As Head Coach For PSL 2024
Phil Simmons [X.com]
Karachi Kings has named former West Indies head coach Phil Simmons as their head coach for the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9, succeeding Johan Botha.
Renowned in the coaching circuit, Simmons led Barbados Tridents (now Barbados Royals) to the CPL title in 2019 and guided Dubai Capitals to the playoffs in the inaugural ILT20 league season in the UAE.
After stepping down as West Indies' head coach after the Australia tour in December, Simmons brings a wealth of coaching experience, having worked with Zimbabwe, Ireland, and Afghanistan in international cricket. The Karachi-based franchise expressed their excitement, stating,
"The franchise proudly welcomes the esteemed Phil Simmons as their Head Coach, marking a significant step in their ongoing revitalization and restructuring process."
Returning to Karachi, a city he holds dear from his playing days, Simmons expressed his enthusiasm for joining forces with the team's think tank. He aims to contribute to the rebuilding process of Karachi Kings and establish the franchise as a formidable unit.
“Returning to Karachi, a city I hold dear from my playing days, feels like a homecoming. I am thrilled to join forces with Haider Azhar and the rest of the team's think tank, drawing from the rich cricketing heritage of this country. We are eager to move ahead with our rebuilding and restart process of Karachi Kings and establish this franchise as a match-winning unit," Simmons said.
In other developments, Karachi Kings secured Pakistan's current Test captain, Shan Masood, during the draft. In exchange for Masood, the team bid farewell to left-arm wrist spinner Faisal Akram, who moves to Multan Sultans.
As part of the upcoming trade, Karachi also relinquished their first picks in the diamond and silver round categories of the draft. Masood, who captained Multan in the 2020 edition and was part of their title-winning squad in 2021, emerges as a strong contender for Karachi's leadership post, especially after the departure of all-rounder Imad Wasim.
With the PSL 2024 draft scheduled at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore on December 13, Karachi Kings, under the guidance of Phil Simmons, anticipates a successful season ahead. The appointment of Simmons marks a strategic move for Karachi in their quest to build a competitive and winning unit for the upcoming PSL campaign.
 "Vaibhav Tripathi")
