India Maharajas, World Giants and Asia Lions, the teams that will participate in the Legends League Cricket Masters, on Friday announced coaches that will guide the three teams.
Lance Klusener, Lalchand Rajput and Dav Whatmore will coach the three teams in the LLC Masters, which will see legends of international cricket turn back the clock and put on an extravaganza on the field, is scheduled to be played from March 10 to 20 at the Asian Town Cricket Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
Lance Klusener, one of the most versatile and accomplished all-rounders in international cricket, has been appointed as the coach of the India Maharajas for the 2023 LLC Masters. The South African great will have stars such as Irfan Pathan, S Sreesanth, and Robin Uthappa at his disposal during the tournament, with more icons set to be added to their roster.
While talking about the 10-day tournament in Doha, Klusener said, “I extremely appreciate that I have got the opportunity to work with such immense icons of Indian cricket during the LLC Masters and will witness them compete against the biggest stars from the international game.
“I am really looking forward to exchanging innovative ideas and coaching philosophies with all of them as veterans of the game. I am confident they still have that quality in them as they showcase the skills that made them the icons they are today. After a couple of practise sessions, I am sure all of them will be raring to go.”
The World Giants, on the other hand, have appointed one of the most distinguished opening batsmen of the domestic circuit in India, Lalchand Rajput, as the coach for the LLC Masters.
Known for his managerial stint with the Indian Men’s Cricket team during the historic 2007 Twenty20 World Cup win in South Africa; the former Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and Mumbai Indians coach will be working with stars of international cricket such as Brett Lee, Jacques Kallis, Chris Gayle, and Shane Watson to name a few that are part of the World Giants squad.
Lalchand Rajput, with elation, said, “I am not only excited to work with greats such as Aaron Finch, Brett Lee, Chris Gayle, Shane Watson, and so many more, but I am also eagerly looking forward to the great moments I will get to share with them. We have some fantastic personalities on our roster, and to get to interact with them one-on-one is an amazing opportunity as a coach too, as I understand the processes behind the scenes they have deployed over their illustrious careers. I am sure watching them play together and compete with other global icons of cricket will make me extremely nostalgic.”
Whatmore, the former Australian batter, has the most coaching experience of the three and will lead the Asia Lions for the LLC Masters 2023.
Whatmore began his career with the Sri Lanka National Team in 1995. Since then, he has gone on to lead the Bangladesh National Cricket Team, the Kolkata Knight Riders, the Pakistan National Cricket Team, and in his last stint, the Zimbabwe National Cricket Team. He will get a chance to reconnect with a lot of his former players that are part of the Asia Lions squad, such as Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq, and Dilhara Fernando, to name a few.
Commenting on his appointment, Whatmore said, “It is a pleasure to be part of such an interesting and unique tournament. The league has presented me with a chance to work with a lot of icons of international cricket that I have worked with very closely in the past, and getting to interact with them again will surely bring back some fond memories. Our team is going to be extremely competitive in the league, and I am certain they will showcase their star quality on the pitch as they entertain fans in the stadiums and in their homes. I also can’t wait to take in the electric atmosphere at the venue in Doha.”
The Legends League Cricket Masters will begin with a match between the India Maharajas and the Asia Lions on March 10. It will allow the spectators to witness one of world cricket’s greatest match-ups as cricketing greats from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan will share the same field to get the tournament up and running.