Darren Gough has been appointed head coach of the Lahore Qalandars, with his first assignment being the Global Super League (GSL) in Guyana, set to begin on November 26. This role is seen as a potential stepping stone to a more permanent position with the Qalandars in their main competition, the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Aaqib Javed, who held dual roles as head coach and director of cricket operations for the Qalandars for the past eight years, stepped down last month to focus on his new position with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as a member of the selection committee for the Pakistan men's national team. Under Aaqib’s guidance, the Qalandars won consecutive PSL titles in 2022 and 2023, although they struggled this year, finishing at the bottom.

Gough, England's former leading ODI wicket-taker and still ranked second behind James Anderson, is reportedly enthusiastic about the Qalandars’ head coach role. The GSL will offer him a chance to settle into the team before a long-term decision is made ahead of the PSL in April next year.

"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," Gough said in a statement. "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."

"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."