Kolkata: Andy Flower, the decorated former England coach and Zimbabwe captain, will be the head coach for ‘Gulf Giants’ - the Adani Group-owned team in the inaugural UAE International League T20 (ILT20) early next year. The sports arm of Adani Group, Adani Sportsline, announced the name of their team and head coach on Tuesday.
Flower, one of Zimbabwe’s greatest batsman ever, brings three decades of cricketing experience. He was also the head coach of the IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants until recently and has previously coached franchise teams such as Punjab Kings (IPL), Maratha Arabians (Abu Dhabi T10), Multan Sultans (PSL), St Lucia Kings (CPL) and Delhi Bulls (Abu Dhabi T10).
“I am very proud to be associated with the Adani Group, particularly Adani Sportsline. Most people are aware of the company’s power, size and reach in general, and it’s wonderful to see their commitment to sports. The Adani Group is also very proud of its support for Indian Olympic sport. It’s exciting to be a part of any of the big franchise tournaments, and the ILT20 has big plans to be a major franchise tournament. As leaders, our job is to serve the players as best we can, and this principle is very important to me,” said Andy Flower.
“We welcome Andy Flower as Head Coach at Gulf Giants,” said Satyam Trivedi of Adani Sportsline. “We are confident that Andy will contribute to the development and mentoring of a cohesive team. I am confident that he will also help to align our players with our vision of connecting and engaging with global cricket fans from all over the world.”
Adani Sportsline engages with fans through popular Indian leagues such as the Pro Kabaddi League, the Big Bout Boxing League, and the Ultimate Kho Kho League under this brand. It now aims to engage and connect with cricket fans worldwide through the brand, ‘Gulf Giants’, at the UAE ILT20. The word ‘Gulf’ in the name refers to the region in which the matches will be played.
The golden falcon in the logo is the national bird of the UAE and is regarded as a powerful symbol of strength. To maintain the uniformity of the team’s identity, the logo’s colours are drawn from the Giants team family. The Adani Group is also very proud to be participating in a tournament that will be held in a country with a rich culture and history.
