Sydney Thunder announce Lisa Keightley as new coach for WBBL

Sydney Thunder announced the signing of Lisa Keightley as their new coach for the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). The former Australian cricketer replaced Trevor Griffin to take up the new role and will be in charge of the Sydney-based franchise for the next three seasons. Griffin was sacked from the role after Sydney Thunder’s disappointing outings in two editions.

Keightley has built up a good reputation as a coach ever since she retired from international cricket in 2005. The Australian created history when she became the first woman to coach the Australian women’s team and England's women's team. Apart from international coaching, Keightley has also coached NSW and Western Australia and has guided Perth Scorchers to two WBBL finals.

Keightley coaching the Sydney Thunders going forward is going to be very beneficial for the team considering her reputation and the success that she has achieved in the past while fulfilling similar roles. Keightley’s most recent tenure was with the English women’s national team as the side made it to the final of the 2022 ODI World Cup. 

"When I say it's a challenge, it's in the sense of the team having a couple of seasons where they'd want to be, I'll be making sure we're competitive and winning games of cricket. Thunder has a core of players who have played for a number of years and have enjoyed success. I'm hoping it won't take too much,” Keightley said in a statement released by Thunder.

Lisa Keightley also hopes that the redevelopment of Sydney Thunder won’t take too much on her part as the team already has a core set of players who are well experienced with the game. Considering the repertoire that Keightley possesses, the former Australian batter should be of great help to the Sydney Thunder. The 51-year-old could be the final piece in the puzzle that leads the side to a third WBBL title.

I'm looking forward to connecting with the players: Keightley

Lisa will be a part of a bunch that includes several youngsters. Phoebe Litchfield and Hannah Darlington, two of Australia’s up-and-coming players are a part of Sydney Thunder and will gain a lot while being trained under the Australian great. Keightley revealed that her focus, during her tenure with the Thunder, will be to build a unique brand of cricket.

"I'm looking forward to connecting with the players, especially the Sydney-based ones to make sure when we go into that competition it doesn't feel new. I'm looking forward to helping them and discussing their games and where they'd like to be. I want to share my observations of how they're playing, and maybe, the areas where they can grow, learn, and stretch,” she said.

"I think that would be a good transition to make during the year, rather than coming in two weeks before the WBBL. I think that's the nice bit of the challenge; knowing when we play in the WBBL that they're clear about the brand of cricket we want to play,” she added.

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