PSL 2024: Quetta Gladiators Name Shane Watson as New Head Coach. The Quetta Gladiators franchise has named former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson as the new head coach for the upcoming ninth season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The decision was made by the team management and owner, as officially announced by the franchise.
The statement highlighted Shane Watson’s impressive career as an Australian all-rounder, underscoring his World Cup victories in 2007 and 2015. It also highlighted his pivotal role in the Quetta Gladiators’ triumphant PSL campaign in 2019. Earlier, the franchise had teased the announcement on social media with a picture of a man at an Australian airport, with the iconic Qantas Airlines plane in the background.
Yesterday, the Gladiators announced the promotion of Moin Khan from head coach to Team Director. Having been a crucial part of the coaching setup since the first PSL season, Khan made this transition after eight years as head coach. During his tenure, the team, under Khan’s guidance, clinched the championship title in 2019 and secured runner-up positions twice, marking a phase of sustained success and development for the Gladiators.
Shane Watson, at the age of 42, retired from all forms of cricket in 2020. In 2022, he became the assistant coach for the IPL franchise Delhi Capitals, collaborating with former Australia team-mate Ricky Ponting. Earlier this year, Watson took on the role of head coach for the San Francisco Unicorns, a Major League Cricket franchise.
Remarkable Journey in T20 Cricket: Shane Watson
Shane Watson left a significant impact with 59 Tests for Australia, but his true brilliance emerged in limited-overs cricket. Across 190 ODIs, he scored 5757 runs at an average of 40.54, with a strike rate of 90.44. Not only that, he also took 168 wickets at an average of 31.79. Being part of two World Cup-winning Australia teams in 2007 and 2015, Watson stood out in the Champions Trophy, earning the Player-of-the-Match award in the finals of both the 2006 and 2009 tournaments.
In T20 Internationals, Shane Watson gathered 1462 runs at an impressive strike rate of 145.32, along with taking 48 wickets at an economical rate of 7.65. His standout performance came during the 2012 T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, where he was awarded the prestigious Player of the Series title. Watson dominated the run charts with an impressive tally of 249 runs at a striking rate of 150. Additionally, he showcased his bowling skills by finishing second on the wickets chart with 11 dismissals.
