SRH appoint James Franklin as new bowling coach

Earlier in the day, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) were dealt with a blow when Dale Steyn, their bowling coach, pulled himself out of the tournament for personal reasons. In response to that news, the franchise have roped in New Zealand all-rounder James Franklin as their bowling coach for the upcoming season. 

It will be Franklin’s first coaching stint at the IPL, with the all-rounder previously being part of the tournament way back in 2011 and 12. It will be SRH’s second new appointment this season after Daniel Vettori was named head coach. 

The duo have worked together at both Middlesex (County) as well as Birmingham Phoenix (The Hundred), with the all-rounder’s recent assignment being as an assistant coach at the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Islamabad United, where he is working alongside Mike Hesson. 

While some teams might have done away with a specialist bowling coach, it wouldn’t have been completely possible at a franchise like SRH, which is often known as the bed of fast-bowling talents in the country. Additionally, there are also reports that we could see a change in captaincy for the Sunrisers this season at the IPL.