Aussie Rachel Haynes named head coach of Gujarat Giants

Ahmedabad: Multiple-time World Cup winner Australian cricketer Rachel Haynes has been appointed head coach of the Gautam Adani-owned Women's Premier League (WPL) team Gujarat Giants, while Nooshin Al Khadeer, who guided India to U-19 team to World Cup triumph, will be bowling coach. The Gujarat Giants, bought for Rs 1,289 crore, has already roped in former India captain Mithali Raj as their mentor and advisor. Former senior women's team coach Tushar Arothe will be the team's batting coach and Gavan Twining will look after fielding department."They have carved a niche for themselves in their roles, and their stories of resilience will be an inspiration for the team," said Mithali. Haynes, who has played at the highest level for more than a decade, has won six world championship titles with the Australian team and was the vice-captain of the side from 2017-2022. The left-handed batter, who was an integral part of the very successful national set-up, is a veteran of 84 T20Is and played crucial roles in the Australian team's title winning campaigns at the 2018 and 2020 T20 World Cups. “The WPL is such an exciting addition to the cricket landscape. The opportunity to be involved in the inaugural season with the Gujarat Giants and work with the brilliant Mithali Raj is something I'm really looking forward to," said Haynes. "We have formed a wonderful coaching team, with Nooshin Al Khadeer, Tushar Arothe and Gavan Twining, who will be bringing on board their rich experience which will help the team to play an exciting brand of cricket which our fans will enjoy watching." PTI