Andy Flower appointed head coach of Lucknow franchise

Former England coach Andy Flower, who last season was a part of the Punjab Kings coaching setup as the assistant coach, has been appointed the head coach of the Lucknow franchise for the 2022 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

Flower, under whom England a decade ago became the number one Test side in the world, has plenty of experience coaching in franchise leagues across the world, and is currently also the head coach of Multan Sultans in PSL, Saint Lucia Kings in CPL and Delhi Bulls in the Abu Dhabi T10 League. While he led Kings and Bulls to the final, Multan Sultans, under Flower’s coaching, landed the PSL 2021 title in June. 

He was the assistant to Anil Kumble for the Punjab Kings franchise, but now the 53-year-old will be taking up the head coach role of the brand new Lucknow franchise, which is expected to sign KL Rahul prior to the auction. 

Taking to Twitter, the RP Sanjiv Goenka Group confirmed Flower’s appointment.

“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,” RPSG Group’s Twitter account quoted owner Dr. Sanjiv Goenka as saying.

Flower, meanwhile, expressed his excitement over having the opportunity to lead the newly-inducted franchise.

"I am incredibly excited to be joining the new Lucknow franchise and I am very grateful for the opportunity," Flower said. 

"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.”