KARACHI: Islamabad United on Friday announced that South African-Australian cricketer Johan Botha has been appointed the franchise’s head coach for the upcoming sixth season Pakistan Super League (PSL).
The appointment of Botha — who had previously worked as the fielding coach for the franchise in the series’ second iteration — was a delight for the two-time PSL champions Islamabad United, who said they “are excited” about it.
The South African cricketer was also the head coach of Multan Sultans for the PSL’s season 4 in 2019, where his team finished fifth, just ahead of the Lahore Qalandars.
Botha has played over a hundred matches for his national team, including 21 games as the captain of the Proteas. He took 126 wickets in his international career and played over 200 T20 matches in leagues all around the world.
Regarding his appointment, Botha said he was very happy to be back at the Islamabad United.
“It is the franchise where I got my first taste of the Pakistan Super League at PSL 2. Since then I have had different experiences at the PSL as well as a range of coaching stints at various tournaments around the world,” he said.
“My plan is to bring all these experiences together and hopefully create another memorable PSL for Islamabad United,” Botha said.
Franchise owner Ali Naqvi said Botha’s success across the world in T20 leagues would not be a surprise to anyone who had seen him work back then.
“He provides a progressive understanding of T20 cricket that we pride ourselves on, and we are confident that he will do his utmost in achieving our shared goals,” Naqvi said.
The PSL’s sixth edition is scheduled to start February 20, 2021.
