RCB confirm Luke Williams as Head Coach of WPL 2024
Williams is replacing fellow Australian coach Ben Sawyer as head coach.
Cricket PassionEditor
Posted - 2023-09-30T15:07:00+06:00
Updated - 2023-09-30T15:07:00+06:00
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Saturday (September 30) confirmed the appointment of Luke Williams as the head coach of the women's team for the upcoming edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL).
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Saturday (September 30) announced the appointment of Luke Williams as head coach for the 2024 Women's Premier League season. The Australian will replace Ben Sawyer, who coached the women's team in the first edition of the tournament.
Williams will join RCB with a highly decorated coaching record. The 43-year-old, who played first-class cricket for South Australia, was coach of the Adelaide Strikers in the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) when they won the title in 2022. He previously coached the team in 2019 and 2021, in which they finished second.
Williams also served as an assistant coach for Southern Brave in the 2023 Women’s Hundred, who won their first title in the competition. He also coached the South Australian Scorpions in the Women's National Cricket League (50 overs).
RCB Women started their WPL 2023 campaign in disastrous fashion despite having players like Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh and Heather Knight in their ranks. The Smriti Mandhana-led side began their campaign with five consecutive defeats. Two wins followed before they lost their final league game and were eliminated from the competition.
Luke Williams appointed as RCB head coach
After the disastrous season in the first edition of the WPL, RCB has sacked Ben Sawyer and hired Big Bash League winning coach Luke Williams.
The former cricketer, who played five first-class matches between 2000 and 2005, has a good reputation as a coach. He was head coach of the Adelaide Strikers in the Women's Big Bash League for four seasons, coaching them to their first title in 2022-23.
The Strikers had previously finished second twice under his coach. He was also an assistant coach for Southern Brave when they won their first Women's Hundred title earlier this year.
“I look forward to working with a playing group that will host a number of the most exciting players in Indian and international cricket as we look to deliver a bold and exciting style of play and success to our huge and passionate fan base,” Luke Williams said his appointment.