Andy Flower is the new head coach of the Lucknow franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL). As one of the most popular cricket coaches around, Flower has been associated with IPL for some time, and he's now going to coach the Lucknow franchise, which is one of the two new IPL teams alongside Ahmedabad.
Flower and former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori are said to be competing for the job. A major announcement was made after getting permission from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), as the board had restricted the new teams from declaring yet.
Meanwhile, the owner of the franchise, Sanjiv Goenka said he’s delighted to get Flower on board. “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”.
Speaking of his appointment, Flower expressed his excitement to work with the new team. “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,” Flower said.
“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. 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,” he added.