Andy Flower appointed London Spirit coach as he replaces Australian Justin Langer at the helm for next season.
Andy Flower replaces Justin Langer as London Spirit head coach.
After leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their first IPL championship earlier this year, Andy Flower, who was reunited with director of cricket Mo Bobat, was hired as men’s coach for London Spirit. After his team finished seventh out of eight in his first and only season as manager, Flower succeeds Justin Langer.
Bobat chose not to extend Langer’s contract when Spirit’s new owners named him director of cricket earlier this year. Instead, he persuaded Flower to sign a multi-year contract with the Trent Rockets ahead of the 2026 season, ending their five-year relationship that included a 2022 championship season.
Earlier this week, the Spirit was taken over by MCC and the “Tech Titans,” a group of wealthy people that included the CEOs of Google, YouTube, Microsoft, and Adobe. The franchise will be operated as a joint venture, with MCC keeping four of the seven board seats and a controlling 51 percent interest.
“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to secure Andy’s services as our men’s head coach,” Bobat said. “Andy and I have enjoyed a strong working relationship in the past, and I’m looking forward to building something special with him at London Spirit as we enter this new and exciting phase for the franchise.”
Flower said he was “deeply grateful” to have spent the last five years at the Rockets and “hugely excited” to join the Spirit. “It’s a real privilege to be part of such an iconic venue and organisation. I’m also thrilled to be working once again with Mo, and for the first time with both MCC and the Tech Titans.”
Although the team has stated that they will play under the same name the next season, they are preparing a significant brand overhaul over the winter that may include the addition of MCC’s egg-and-bacon colours to their uniform, most likely as accents rather than as the main colour.
Prior to a Hundred board meeting later this month, Nottinghamshire (Cain/Ares) and Surrey (Reliance) are anticipated to finalise their respective deals for Trent Rockets and Oval Invincibles next week. Six of the eight deals in the Hundred’s new ownership structure were approved in July.