Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has appointed James Franklin, the former New Zealand fast bowler, as their pace bowling coach for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Franklin replaces Dale Steyn, who has taken a break from the franchise due to personal reasons.
Franklin, who played 31 Tests, 110 ODIs, and 38 T20Is for New Zealand from 2001 to 2013, brings a wealth of experience to the SRH coaching staff. He previously played for Mumbai Indians in the IPL during the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
This will be Franklin’s first coaching stint in the IPL, but he has previous coaching experience with Durham in English county cricket and Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League. At SRH, he will reunite with his former teammate Daniel Vettori, who was appointed as the team’s head coach after IPL 2023.
Franklin’s appointment is part of a wider revamp of the SRH coaching staff. The franchise has also appointed Australian Pat Cummins as their new captain. SRH will begin their IPL 2024 campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on March 23.
Franklin’s expertise in pace bowling is expected to be a valuable asset for SRH, which has struggled with its bowling in recent seasons. The franchise will be hoping that Franklin can help them develop a more potent bowling attack and challenge for the IPL title.
