Former South African batsman and coach Gary Kirsten has been removed from his position at the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
The RCB announced on Friday that Kirsten and Ashish Nehra had been removed as batting and bowling coaches respectively, with New Zealander Mike Hesson coming in as director of cricket operations and Australian Simon Katich as head coach.
“RCB’s purpose is to be the most trusted, respected, and best performing T20 Franchise and hence our constant endeavor is to create a culture of excellence and high performance for every member of the team. To deliver this ambition, we are very happy to announce the appointment of Mike Hesson and Simon Katich. We believe that Mike’s extensive experience in building strong teams along with Simon’s powerful cricket experience will help us create a winning culture,” said RCB chairman Sanjeev Churiwala.
The Challengers also thanked Kirsten and Nehra for their contributions to the outfit.
“As a result of this restructuring exercise, we will be moving to a single coach model. Consequently, we would like to thank Gary Kirsten and Ashish Nehra for their contribution over the past two seasons. They leave us with a legacy of having given several young players the confidence to show their ability on the highest stage. Everyone at Royal Challengers Bangalore wishes them all the best in the future.”
Virat Kohli-led RCB once again had a dismal season last year and finished at the bottom of the points table, while Hesson’s KXIP finished sixth. Katich who was then working with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) also failed to make to the playoffs as they finished fifth.
