UP Warriorz announced its coaching staff ahead of the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL 2023), which will be held between March 4 to March 26 in Mumbai.
UP Warriorz have zeroed in on their think tank too, with former England cricketer Jon Lewis appointed as the Head Coach of the team, while Arjuna Awardee (2005) Anju Jain will be the Assistant Coach.
Former Australian cricketer Ashley Noffke is the Bowling Coach. Meanwhile, playing the mentor’s role for the UP Warriorz will be the 4-time World Champion with Australia Lisa Sthalekar.
Lewis, the current Head Coach of the England Women’s Cricket Team, is vastly experienced and has bagged more than 1200 wickets in over 500 games, internationally and domestically. Lewis was the bowling coach for the England Men’s Team in 2021 and worked with an elite group of bowlers in Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Ben Stokes during his stint with the national team.
“I am delighted to be part of the Capri Global Holdings Private Limited family with the UP Warriorz and expect this to be a fascinating insight into the depth of cricket in India and a high-octane ride for the next couple of months. The WPL is a huge step forward for women’s cricket globally and I am excited to be an integral part of this journey. Having Anju Jain, Ashley Noffke and Lisa Sthalekar who bring in a diverse set of experiences to the dugout can only make the task a whole lot easier,” Lewis said.
Anju, who holds the distinction of being the first Indian Women cricketer to represent the country in four ODI World Cups, was the coach for the Tornadoes, who won their first title in the 2022 edition of the FairBreak Invitational T20. The former wicketkeeper batter has also been the head coach for the Bangladesh Women’s cricket team in a coaching career that has spanned over 12 years.
“We at UP Warriorz are delighted to be associated with names like Head Coach Jon Lewis and Anju Jain. Both are established figures in terms of leadership and bring to the table a wealth of cricketing experience, which will help guide a new team,” said Rajesh Sharma, Managing Director, Capri Global Holdings Private Limited.
Earlier, the Lucknow-based Women’s Premier League (WPL) franchise, owned by Capri Global Holdings named their team as UP Warriorz.
The Women’s Premier League (WPL 2023) is set to be played in Mumbai from March 4, 2023 to March 26, 2023. A total of 22 matches will be played with the Brabourne Stadium & DY Patil Stadium playing hosts to the marquee tournament. The Player Auction for the WPL will be held in Mumbai on February 13, 2023.
