Skip to content
Birmingham Phoenix confirm coaching line ups

Press release -

Birmingham Phoenix confirm coaching line ups

Birmingham Phoenix have finalised their coaching teams ahead of the start of The Hundred.

Andrew McDonald will not travel over to England this summer due to the ongoing global issues caused by the pandemic. Former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori will step up to the role of Men’s Interim Head Coach this summer while McDonald will support the side as a consultant before returning as Men’s Head Coach in 2022.

After a hugely successful playing career that sees him remembered as one of New Zealand’s greatest ever cricketers, Vettori has gained extensive coaching experience having had spells in charge of Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash, Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL and Middlesex in the Vitality Blast.

He will be supported by two Assistant Coaches - Alex Gidman & James Franklin who have extensive experience in England, both on and off the field, and are currently Head Coaches at Worcestershire & Durham respectively.

Ben Sawyer remains as Head Coach of the Women’s side with some exciting additions to his backroom staff.

Former England cricketer Caroline Foster (nee Atkins) is one of three Assistant Coaches alongside Dominic Ostler and Gareth Davies who currently coach the Warwickshire and Worcestershire Women’s sides.

Foster is a former World Cup and Ashes winner and coached Western Storm to the final of the Kia Super League in its inaugural season in 2016.

Daniel Vettori said: “I feel really honoured to be asked to step up and take the reigns from Andrew this year. We’ll continue to communicate regularly and Andrew’s advice will be vital to our success. Our squad looks really strong and we want to build a winning team and hopefully bring The Hundred trophy to Birmingham.”

Andrew McDonald commented: “It was a really hard decision not to travel over this summer and I’m extremely sad that I won’t be there in person to coach the team. I’ll be doing everything I can to give advice and support to Daniel and his team and I’m already looking forward to playing a role in person next season.”

Caroline Foster said: “I feel thrilled to be working with Birmingham Phoenix this summer. Ben is a fantastic coach who has experience around the world and I can’t wait to work with him and the players ahead of what is an incredibly exciting moment not just for Birmingham Phoenix but for women’s cricket as a whole.”

For more information about The Hundred and ticket access visit thehundred.com. Early bird ticket prices will be available until 23.59 on June 23.

ENDS 

About The Hundred

The Hundred is a brand new sports competition launching this summer (21 July-21 Aug). It fuses blockbuster entertainment with world-class cricket, inviting everyone to fall in love with the game at its intense, electrifying and incredible best.

Combining a new short, fast format of cricket, with each game lasting less than three hours, and incredible entertainment beyond sport, The Hundred will make cricket more accessible to reach a broader audience. It’s simple: 100 balls per team, most runs wins, so every ball counts.

The Hundred will feature eight brand new teams from seven cities, with men’s and women’s competitions taking place side by side: Welsh Fire (Cardiff), Southern Brave (Southampton), Northern Superchargers (Leeds), London Spirit, Trent Rockets (Nottingham), Oval Invincibles (London), Manchester Originals and Birmingham Phoenix. Each team will feature some of the best international and domestic cricketers from around the world, including England Men’s & Women’s World Cup winners.

Games will be broadcast live on Sky Sports and BBC throughout the competition – so whether in ground or watching from home – you’ll be right amongst all the action.

You won’t want to miss out on this summer’s sporting entertainment event! Join us for the latest news access to tickets by signing up at thehundred.com.

Categories


____

You'll find all ECB Media Releases and associated resources on our Newsroom >



Contacts

Kate Miller

Kate Miller

Press contact Director of Communications
Jonathan Reed

Jonathan Reed

Press contact Head of Media & Publications +44 (0) 7525 596 621
Danny Reuben

Danny Reuben

Press contact Head of Team Communications England Men's team +44 (0)7825 723 620 @dannyreuben
Matt Somerford

Matt Somerford

Press contact Communications Manager - Domestic Cricket +44 (0)7551 134 716
Hen Cowen

Hen Cowen

Press contact Senior Communications Manager (they/them) +44 (0)7585 987 302
Chris Tuttlebee

Chris Tuttlebee

Press contact Corporate Communications Lead +44 (0)7824 551713
Emily Liles

Emily Liles

Press contact Communications Manager - Performance (England Women)