Mickey Arthur appointed Rangpur Riders coach ahead of Global Super League

Mickey Arthur has been appointed as the head coach of Rangpur Riders, which will participate in the inaugural season of the Global Super League (GSL), starting on November 26. 

Arthur, the current director of cricket of Derbyshire and former head coach of the Sri Lanka and Pakistan senior men’s side, will also coach the Bangladesh-based franchise in the country's premier tournament, the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

ESPNCricinfo quoted Shanian Taneem, the team director of the Riders, saying, “It is a one-year deal. He [Arthur] will take care of us for these two tournaments this year. 

“He is a great addition to our side. The local players are really excited to be coached by him. We have been in touch with Mickey for the last 7-8 days to build the squad for GSL and BPL. He is very active, always gladly helping us.

"I think he is perfect for Rangpur Riders' culture. He is a very friendly guy. He will be of great benefit to the Bangladeshi cricketers in particular. He has huge experience. He has already taken care of so many international sides like Sri Lanka, South Africa and Pakistan.”

GSL, a five-team tournament, will be played between Hampshire Hawks (T20 Blast), Rangpur Riders (BPL), Victoria (Australia state team), Guyana Amazon Warriors and Lahore Qalandars at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. 

11 matches will be played between November 26 and December 7, including the final. The prize money for the tournament is USD 1 million.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has approved the tournament, which has the full backing of the government of Guyana.

West Indies will play a couple of Tests between November 22 and December 4, which could see stars like Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, and Kevin Sinclair potentially join the Test side and miss out on the tournament. For the Riders, Hasan Mahmud could also miss out as he is expected to play for Bangladesh in the Test series.

With Pakistan set for their all-format tour of South Africa, the participation of Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi hangs in the balance as well. The inaugural edition of the GSL will also clash with the Abu Dhabi T10, which will run between November 21 and December 2. 

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