Former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn has been appointed as the bowling coach of Washington Freedom ahead of the Major League Cricket 2023. The team also announced that Australian all-rounder Moises Henriques will serve as the captain for the inaugural edition. Henriques, 36 years old, brings a wealth of T20 leadership experience, having won two titles with the Sydney Sixers in the past five seasons of Australia’s premier T20 competition, the Big Bash League (BBL).
Henriques will lead a star-studded lineup of international players that the franchise has previously unveiled, including Anrich Nortje, Wanindu Hasaranga, Glenn Phillips, Marco Jansen, and Adam Milne.
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Greg Shipperd has been appointed as the head coach of the team. Shipperd has been the head coach of the Sydney Sixers since 2015, following a four-year tenure with the Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Daredevils. The addition of Dale Steyn as the bowling coach is expected to provide a significant boost to Washington Freedom. Steyn, who recently retired from playing, will now share his expertise with the team after his stints with Sunrisers Hyderabad and Sunrisers Eastern Cape.
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๐ถYou canโt always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might just find, you get what you need๐ถ
Joining Washington Freedom as bowling coach is the one we needed, the legend that is @DaleSteyn62๐#SweetFreedom #MLC2023 pic.twitter.com/xxKxPpv72j
โ Washington Freedom (@WSHFreedom) May 31, 2023
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“We are extremely pleased with the squad we have assembled so far. Moises (Henriques) and Greg (Shipperd) have a proven track record of winning championships together at the Sydney Sixers. It is crucial to establish a winning culture within a young franchise right from the beginning,” said Sanjay Govil, owner of Washington Freedom, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
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He also expressed his delight in having the legendary Dale Steyn on board, stating, “The prospect of having such an iconic figure on American soil, spending time with some of the young talents in the squad, is truly thrilling.”
Dale Steyn had previously been associated with the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League as a player. Following his stint with the Sunrisers, he went on to represent the Gujarat Lions and the Royal Challengers Bangalore. After retiring from all formats of cricket, the South African pacer took up the role of bowling coach for the Sunrisers Hyderabad before joining Washington Freedom.
