Top 10 highest paid cricket coaches in 2021

Cricket is indeed a team game as 11 players on the field need to come together as a unit to emerge victorious. While some players are assigned to score runs, some have the onus to take wickets with the ball. At the same time, the cricketers also need to contribute in the field by taking catches and effecting run-outs.

However, there are more than 11 players involved in a side’s success. A coach is also critical to the team’s performance as he has to analyse players and bring the best out of them. While the captain takes charge on the field, the coach reduces his burden in other departments like making strategies, selecting playing XI, etc.

As the coaches have been players themselves, they use their valuable experience to guide the youngsters in the side. However, having knowledge of the game isn’t just enough to become a potent coach.

Nowadays, the mentors need to be good man managers to keep the players in a positive frame of mind. Hence, they are paid heavily for taking the pressure and delivering the desired results.

Here we look at the top 10 highest-paid cricket coaches:

10. Lalchand Rajput, Zimbabwe – INR 35.8 Lakhs

Zimbabwe were never a powerhouse in world cricket, and their performance in the last few years hasn’t been inspiring either. They have constantly struggled against big teams and lost one series after another across formats. They didn’t even qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2019.

However, the board officials have trusted Lalchand Rajput to enhance the side’s performance. The former Indian cricketer took over the reins from Heath Streak at the end of 2018. He came in the side with substantial coaching experience, having mentored in the Indian domestic circuit.

Rajput even was a manager of India’s 2007 T20 World Cup-winning squad. However, he hasn’t been able to change Zimbabwe’s fate so far. As per his contract, Rajput fetches $ 49,240 per annum from the Zimbabwe cricket board.

With several new players coming in the side, Rajput has the responsibility to groom them properly and strengthen the national team.

9. West Indies, Phil Simmons – INR 64.5 Lakhs

Although West Indies don’t have much to show in the ICC rankings, they have a set of formidable players who can challenge the best of teams on their day. While the squad has experienced faces like Jason Holder and Kieron Pollard, young guns like Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetmyer have also showcased their potential.

However, coming together as a unit has been a challenge for them, and Phil Simmons has the onus to resolve this issue. The former Caribbean batsman replaced Floyd Reifer as the head coach in 2019 and has done a commendable job so far. Under him, West Indies defeated Sri Lanka and Bangladesh earlier this year.

However, Simmons’ primary focus will be guiding West Indies to the T20 World Cup title later this year. Speaking of his salary, the 58-year-old gets $ 0.09 m from Cricket West Indies (CWI).

8. South Africa, Mark Boucher – INR 1.05 Crore

One of the finest wicket-keepers ever to grace the game, Mark Boucher is the head coach of the South Africa national cricket team. The former right-handed batsman retired from international cricket as a legend, and he now serves Proteas cricket in a different section.

Boucher replaced Ottis Gibson as South Africa’s head coach following the side’s forgettable campaign in the 2019 World Cup. Since then, he has been fighting tooth and nail for the betterment of the Proteas team. He even tried to bring back AB de Villiers from retirement, which couldn’t happen.

The former wicketkeeper-batsman now has the onus to groom the youngsters and bring the glory days back in Proteas cricket. Coming to Boucher’s annual salary, Cricket South Africa pays him $ 0.15 m for his services.

7. Bangladesh, Russell Domingo- INR 1.29 Crore

Bangladesh cricket has taken significant strides in the last few years and defeated some prominent teams. However, they still have a long way to go, and Russell Domingo has handled the mantle of enhancing the side. The former South African cricketer was appointed as the head coach of Bangladesh in 2019.

Like most of the players on this list, Domingo hasn’t played international cricket but has a ton of experience in the coaching department. Before joining the Bangladesh side, Domingo tasted a lot of success as South Africa’s head coach. He’s known for his great understanding of the game and his man-management skills have also been lauded by many.

ODI series wins against West Indies and Sri Lanka have been highlights of Domingo’s tenure, and the Proteas star would like to take Bangladesh to many more victories. Domingo has a two-year contract with Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and is earning INR 1.29 Crore per annum.

6. New Zealand, Gary Stead- INR 1.73 Crore

The last few years have been absolutely memorable for New Zealand as they made a mark across formats and registered many impressive wins. The Kiwis, in fact, feature among the top-three teams in all ICC rankings. While the likes of Kane Williamson and Trent Boult have been brilliant in their part, head coach Gary Stead also deserves significant credit.

Stead, a former Kiwi cricketer, couldn’t serve New Zealand cricket much as a player but his coaching stint with the national team has been magnificent. Under his guidance, Kane Williamson and Co advanced to the 2019 World Cup and also qualified for the inaugural ICC World Test Championship final.

Notably, Stead had also enjoyed a successful campaign while leading New Zealand’s women’s cricket team. Coming to his current contract, the former batsman gets a yearly paycheck of $ 0.25 m from New Zealand Cricket (NZC).

5. Pakistan, Misbah-ul-Haq – INR 1.79 crore

Many questions have been raised over the Pakistan team management over the years. Hence, the head coach of the national side can never breathe easy with spotlights over him. Currently, the role is assumed by Misbah-ul-Haq. The former Pakistan captain replaced Mickey Arthur as head coach in 2019.

Misbah was also appointed the chief selector, but he later resigned from the post. Notably, the 46-year-old retired from international cricket just a couple of years before taking the coaching role. Hence, he was well familiar with the atmosphere of the dressing room.

Although there have been some controversies, Pakistan have done reasonably well under Misbah with series victories against South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. For his services, the former Pakistan skipper receives an annual sum of around $0.24 m.

4. Sri Lanka, Mickey Arthur – INR 3.44 Crore

Mickey Arthur is one of the most successful coaches in the world and currently mentors the Sri Lankan team. As mentioned previously, Arthur was Pakistan’s coach till 2019, and the same year, he took a mentor’s role in Sri Lankan cricket. His tenure so far has indeed been challenging as the Lankan lions have struggled to name a settled line-up.

They even have changed as many as nine ODI captains in the last four years, with wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Perera being the latest one at the helm. With Sri Lankan cricket being in dire straits, they need somebody like Mickey Arthur to protect them from falling further down.

Although pay dispute has been one of the many issues in Lankan cricket lately, Arthur gets a significant amount of money for his job. His contract with the SLC ensures that he earns an annual salary of $ 0.46 m.

3. England, Chris Silverwood – INR 4.65 Crore

Next on the list is Chris Silverwood. The former pacer was appointed as the head coach of the England cricket team in 2019 and had the onus of filling the massive shoes of Trevor Bayliss, who had guided the Three Lions to the 2019 World Cup title. Silverwood has done a commendable job so far as England have maintained their dominance in white-ball cricket.

Under him, the Three Lions defeated powerhouses like New Zealand, South Africa, and even Australia in white-ball assignments. He even guided England to a Test series win in South Africa in early 2020. However, a forgettable tour of India earlier this year has put a dark patch on Silverwood’s stellar campaign.

Nevertheless, he would like to put England back to winning ways. He gets an annual salary of $ 0.60 m from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for his immense contributions.

2. Australia, Justin Langer – INR 4.67 Crore

Justin Langer needs no introduction in world cricket and he’s regarded as one of Australia’s finest openers ever. However, his services for Australian cricket weren’t over with his international retirement in 2008. He had a short stint as Australia’s interim coach in 2016, and two years later, the southpaw became a full-timer.

In fact, Langer was appointed after Darren Lehmann stepped down from the coaching post following the infamous ball-tampering scandal in 2018. Hence, the talismanic cricketer had the responsibility to instill confidence back in the side amid the global criticism.

Langer indeed passed the test as he took the Men in Yellow to many victories including the 2019 World Cup semi-finals. Moreover, the Aussies also managed to retain the Ashes urn on England soil. For his exceptional services, Cricket Australia (CA) pays him an annual income of $ 0.61 m.

1. India, Ravi Shastri – INR 9.5 – 10 crore

Now, this shouldn’t surprise anyone. With the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) deemed the richest cricket board, the Indian coach gets the biggest paycheck. Shastri was initially appointed as the national team’s director in 2014, and he served in that position for two years.

In 2016, he was in contention to become India’s head coach but Anil Kumble pipped him for the post. However, a year later, Kumble controversially stepped down, and the former all-rounder finally got the job. Since then, he has been India’s head coach and his record is also impressive.

Under him, India shone in all the formats and even registered two Test series wins on Australian soil. In addition, the Men in Blue also recorded limited-overs series victories in England, New Zealand, South Africa, and West Indies. As per Shastri’s hefty contract, he receives an annual pay of around INR 9.5 to 10 crore.