Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday announced former New Zealand all-rounder James Franklin as its bowling coach for the upcoming season.
Franklin, a left-arm pace bowler, replaces former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn, who took over as SRH bowling coach in 2022. Steyn has requested the franchise to give him a break for this season owing to personal reasons.
“Dale Steyn will not be joining us this season due to personal reasons and James Franklin will be the Pace Bowling Coach for this season. Welcome on board, James!” SRH wrote on social media platform X.
Earlier on Monday, Sunrisers had announced Australia captain Pat Cummins as its skipper for IPL 2024. Cummins replaces South Africa’s Aiden Markram, under whose leadership SRH ended at the bottom of the standings last year.
Franklin has played for Mumbai Indians in the 2011 and 2012 seasons of the IPL, but this is his maiden stint as coach in the cash-rich league. However, he has coaching experience with Durham in English county cricket and in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as assistant coach of Islamabad United.
At SRH, Franklin will link up with his former teammate Daniel Vettori, who was appointed as the team’s head coach after IPL 2023.
The duo has worked together at Middlesex in county cricket as well as with Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred.
Franklin has played 31 Tests, 110 ODIs and 38 T20Is for New Zealand between 2001 and 2013.
