Renowned South African coach Mickey Arthur will continue to play an active role with the Rangpur Riders in the upcoming Global Super League (GSL) 2025—albeit from a distance due to his ongoing commitments with Derbyshire County Cricket Club in the English County Championship.
In Arthur’s absence, Greg Smith will take over as head coach of the Riders, working under Arthur’s remote supervision. The announcement was made by Rangpur Riders Team Director Shanian Taneem during a press conference following the jersey unveiling and sponsorship signing ceremony held on Sunday at Bashundhara Sports City.
“As the English County Championship is currently ongoing and Mickey is coaching Derbyshire County Cricket Club, he is unavailable at the moment. Therefore, we are appointing Greg Smith as our head coach—someone Mickey fully trusts. Mickey will stay connected with the players and continue to offer his input. Greg will lead the team under Mickey’s guidance,” Shanian explained.
Arthur had previously coached the Riders during both the last GSL and the most recent Bangladesh Premier League season. His involvement in forming this season’s squad has also been significant.
“Mickey Arthur was our head coach during the previous Global Super League and the last edition of the Bangladesh Premier League. We have strong confidence in his abilities. While forming our squad, we remained in constant touch with him and discussed which players would perform well on Guyana’s pitches,” Shanian added.
Former national captain Mohammad Ashraful will also return to the coaching panel, after playing a vital support role in the Riders’ successful GSL campaign last season.
“Mohammad Ashraful will be part of our coaching setup. His contributions during our last GSL campaign were significant. Despite various limitations, the support he gave us was a major boost. So, our coaching panel will include both Greg Smith and Mohammad Ashraful,” Shanian concluded.
The 2025 edition of the Global Super League will feature five teams and is set to take place in Guyana from 10 to 18 July. Rangpur Riders will be aiming to defend their title under the new coaching arrangement.
Source: Daily Sun
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