Lahore Qalandars appoint Darren Gough as head coach

LAHORE: Lahore Qalandars appointed former England fast bowler and Darren Gough as head coach ahead of their participation in the inaugural Global Super League, scheduled to commence on November 26.

The former managing director of Yorkshire County Cricket Club brings a wealth of experience both on and off the field. He enjoyed a distinguished international career, representing England from 1994 to 2006.

He retired as England’s leading wicket-taker in ODIs and was a key contributor in Test cricket; his name is among the top four leading bowlers from England across all formats. After his playing career, he transitioned into the media as a respected cricket commentator and pundit before moving into coaching and cricket administration.

He served as Managing Director of Cricket for Yorkshire following a stint as England’s bowling consultant in 2020.

On being appointed as head coach, Darren Gough said: “It’s an absolute honour to have been asked by the Lahore Qalandars to be the head coach for the upcoming Global Super League in Guyana. I’m really excited about this opportunity because I’ve been fortunate to work with the Qalandars in Lahore on several occasions, assisting with their PDP program. We know that Lahore Qalandars are all about giving young players opportunities they've never had before—developing their skills and shaping them into players who can go on to represent the Qalandars and hopefully make Pakistan cricket proud. I’m really, really looking forward to this. Can’t wait for the tournament; let’s play well and enjoy the game!”

Sameen Rana, Lahore Qalandars' owner, expressed confidence in Darren's ability to guide the team through this exciting new league and said, “We are thrilled to welcome Darren Gough, whose legacy as a player and leadership experience make him an ideal choice for Lahore Qalandars. His insights and dedication to cricket align seamlessly with our commitment to player development and our vision for the future. His experience will help us build on the strong foundations already in place as we embark on this new journey.”

He will join the squad in Guyana on November 23, with the GSL opening match seeing Guyana Amazon Warriors face off against Lahore Qalandars. The five-team T20 competition also includes Hampshire Hawks from England’s T20 Blast, Rangpur Riders from the Bangladesh Premier League, and Victoria, the Australia state team. Each team will play the others once in a round-robin format, with 11 matches in total, culminating in a final on December 7 between the top two teams.