Umar Gul named head coach of Galle Gladiators ahead of LPL 2021

Former Pakistan pacer Umar Gul has been appointed the head coach of Galle Gladiators ahead of the second edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL).  Moin Khan held the position at the helm for the Gladiators in the preceding season but he won’t be available for the upcoming tournament due to some personal reasons. Hence, the franchise roped in Gul, who has a plethora of experience in the 20-over format.

One of the finest pacers ever in the T20 format, Gul announced retirement from all forms of cricket in 2020. He has been active in the coaching role since then. Notably, the 37-year-old was also the bowling coach of Quetta Gladiators, the parent franchise of Galle Gladiators, in the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Umar Gul is the sixth-highest wicket-taker in T20Is

With Moin Khan not available, Gul was pretty certain to fill his shoes in the LPL franchise. In a career spanning over 13 years, the speedster represented Pakistan in 47 Tests, 130 ODIs, and 60 T20Is, taking 163, 179 and 85 wickets respectively. In fact, the former pacer, who’s currently the sixth-highest wicket-taker in T20 Internationals, is the only Pakistan bower with two five-wicket hauls in T20Is.

The right-arm pacer was known to set the speed gun on fire and his ability to nail yorkers and bouncers at will made him a captain’s delight. He also had several variations in his arsenal to restrict the run flow in the crucial junctures of the game. With Gul being well versed with the drill of this format, expectations are sky-high from him in this role.

Meanwhile, the second edition of the Lanka Premier League will get underway on December 3 while the final clash will take place on December 23. The Galle-based side was impressive in the previous season and even made a place in the finals. However, they lost to eventual champions Jaffna Stallions in the summit clash.

Nevertheless, the Gladiators have a formidable side this time around and they would back themselves to go one step further. Meanwhile, the side is studded with T20 stalwarts like Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hafeez, Samit Patel, and Tabraiz Shamsi. Hence, it would be interesting to see whether this side can live up to the expectations or not.