The Hundred | Welsh Fire contract Gary Kirsten and Matthew Mott as head coaches
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Cardiff-based franchise Welsh Fire has reached an agreement with renowned coaches Gary Kirsten and Matthew Mott to lead their men’s and women’s teams respectively. Both of them reacted positively to being a part of the new venture and expressed their excitement about the league’s innovative format.
Welsh Fire has managed to rope in high profile coaches in the form of Gary Kirsten and Matthew Mott for the inaugural season of The Hundred. The league is the ECB’s latest initiative which will introduce a new format to cricket as eight teams will battle it out in matches with two innings of 100 balls each. Gary Kirsten will be handed the reins of the meN’s team while Matthew Mott will be given charge of the franchise’s female team.
Gary Kirsten has had a very successful coaching career, with his biggest success coming in 2011 when India won the ICC World Cup in his tenure. Having nearly 300 international caps himself, the South African has a thorough understanding of the game. His other achievements as a coach include leading the Proteas to the number one spot in Test rankings and has also served as the head coach of Hobart Hurricanes and IPL outfit Royal Challengers Bangalore.
"To be involved in English and Welsh cricket from a coaching perspective is something that I have never done. It's great to be given that opportunity and to come to Cardiff. This is a new format that I am sure will grow and grow. The real win is that it will grab the attention of families and expose the game of cricket to as many environments and communities as possible," Kirsten was reported saying by Cricbuzz.
On the other hand, Matthew Mott started his coaching career with New South Wales. He already has been a part of cricket in Cardiff, having coached Glamorgan, the county based there, for three years in what was a successful stint. Most recently, he has been the coach of the Australian team and helped them win the World T20 as well as the recently-concluded Ashes.
"Cardiff is a special place for me and my family and that was a big part in my decision to return. 've got no doubt The Hundred will be a success for the women's game. I've got a young son who is a Sydney Sixers fan and he doesn't see gender - he just sees the team. The Hundred will provide that sort of platform in England and Wales and I can't speak highly enough of what that can mean for the game," Mott said of his appointment.Â
Sanjay Patel, managing director of the tournament, was pleased with the appointments.
"It's great to welcome two world cup winning coaches to the competition. The Hundred continues to attract some of the top coaches in the world ahead of October's men's Player Draft,” he stated.
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