Shane Watson appointed as Quetta Gladiators head coach

New Delhi: Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson has been named as head coach of Quetta Gladiators for the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), the franchise announced on Wednesday.

The announcement saw the Gladiators' first change of coach since the inauguration of the tournament, as former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Moin Khan, who served as coach for eight years promoted to team director role.

"Shane has been an integral part of the Quetta Gladiators success in the initial seasons of the country's premier league before he took retirement and there has been no better choice than him to coach the side and bring back the glory days which we have been renowned for. I wish him all the best for his new role and believe in his capabilities to take Quetta Gladiators to new heights," team owner Nadeem Omar said in a statement shared on team's social media.

Watson had an illustrious career as an all-rounder for Australia, having won the World Cup in 2007 and 2015 as part of the team. The 42-year-old retired from all cricket in 2020. He joined IPL franchise Delhi Capitals as assistant coach in 2022, serving alongside his former Australia team-mate Ricky Ponting.

Earlier this year, he was appointed head coach of Major League Cricket franchise San Francisco Unicorns.

Gladiators were the most consistent franchise of the PSL during its first four editions, when they reached the final three times, and also won the title in 2019. However, in the last four seasons, they missed out on making the playoffs under the leadership of Sarfaraz Ahmed.

Watson, who joined the franchise in 2018 after two years with Islamabad United, played a vital role in Gladiators' success in the PSL 2019, becoming their greatest overseas player during his three-season stint until 2020.

He was the leading run-scorer during their victorious campaign in 2019, hitting 430 runs at a strike rate of 143.81, a performance which earned him the Player of the Tournament award.