Mumbai Indians (MI) has elevated its head coach Mahela Jayawardene and director of cricket Zaheer Khan to new global roles for all three teams owned by the franchise – Mumbai Indians in the IPL, MI Emirates in the ILT20 and MI Cape Town in the SA20.
Mahela Jayawardene is now appointed as the Global Head of Performance of MI.
According to the Reliance-owned franchise, the Sri Lankan batsman is now responsible for the group’s cricket operations worldwide, including overall strategic planning as well as responsibility for each team’s coaching and support structures.
Similarly, MI has appointed Zaheer Khan as the Global Head of Cricket Development. Zaheer will be responsible for player development - identifying younger talents across geographies and grooming them. "With the expansion of MI #OneFamily which now includes the MI Emirates and MI Cape Town along with Mumbai Indians, the team management recognized the need for a central team," MI said in its press release.
"This would ensure consistency across the ‘One family of teams’, on ethos, values, and learning, that have made MI one of the most loved cricket brands across the globe. As part of building the structure, two MI veterans Mahela Jayawardene and Zaheer Khan with deep knowledge of the MI value system and proven track record, are being elevated to new roles," it added.
Akash Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, said, “I’m happy to have Mahela and Zak as part of our global core team. Both have been an integral part of the MI family and embody the spirit of the cricket MI stands for. I'm confident that they would be able to ensure the same flow through all our teams globally and make a difference in the cricketing ecosystems across the globe.” Reacting to his promotion, Mahela Jayawardene said that he is looking forward to this new responsibility to build a strong global franchise. Meanwhile, Zaheer Khan said that MI has been home for him as a player and as a coaching team member. He is now looking forward to work closely with all the stakeholders in the global network. (Edited by : Sangam Singh)
