Sylhet Sixers rope in former Pakistani great as new head coach

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) franchise, Sylhet Sixers, has made a big appointment to their roster for the upcoming editions of the tournament. The team management has recently announced the new head coach of the team. Former Pakistani cricketer Waqar Younis has been appointed as the new coach of the franchise.

Waqar has struck a two-year deal with the Sylhet franchise. Sylhet Sixers were previously coached by Jafrul Ehsan. While Waqar Younis is set to replace Jafrul, the latter will continue to be a part of the team management. In the previous edition of the BPL, Waqar had worked as the brand ambassador and the mentor of the Sylhet Sixers.

“I think having someone like Waqar in our team as the head coach is a dream come true. We feel that in these kinds of tournaments, a mixture of foreign and local coaches in the team management is essential as a reputed foreign coach can have foresight to address many issues that our local coaches might ignore,” Sylhet Sixers chief executive Yasir Obaid told Cricbuzz.

“We feel that in these kinds of tournaments, a mixture of foreign and local coaches in the team management is essential as a reputed foreign coach can have foresight to address many issues that our local coaches might ignore,” he added.

On the impact of overseas coaches

Speaking on the similar lines, the Sylhet Sixers manager conceded that the overseas coaches do have a great impact on the game. He cited the examples of Mahela Jayawardene, Tom Moody, and Daniel Vettori as the success stories of the overseas coaches. He feels that the overseas coaches do add a lot of value to the table.

“The arrival of [Daniel] Vettori and the participation of the coaches such as Tom Moody and Mahela Jawayardene suggest that high profile coaches certainly have a huge influence in shaping the team. The amount of experience Waqar possess is unbelievable and we are keen to utilize it to the fullest,” Obaid noted.

On the academy plans in Sylhet

Commenting on the plans that the management is having regarding an academy to be set up in Sylhet, Obaid noted that they have spoken about the same with Waqar as well. He mentioned that when the project in Sylhet goes up and running, Waqar Younis will be expected to head that project. Also, the team management has already shortlisted a few places for the academy setup.

“We have already spoken with Waqar regarding the academy that we dream to start in Sylhet in the near future to nurture local cricketers and give them a platform to showcase their talent. Waqar will be heading that project[ academy] once it gets rolling. We have already seen few places for the academy and soon will select an ideal place to launch our dream project,” he conceded.

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