Good news followed Mahela Jayawardene and Zaheer Khan as the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise and five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) on Wednesday (September 14) elevated the former players to new roles of global head of performance and global head of cricket development respectively.
“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 flows through all our teams globally and make a difference in the cricketing ecosystems across the globe,” Mr. Akash. M. Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Jio Infocomm was quoted as saying about their appointment.
The appointments were a part of MI's central expansion plan.
According to a MI statement, Jayawardene will be providing senior leadership to the group's cricket operations worldwide, including overall strategic planning, the creation of an integrated global high-performance eco-system, as well as responsibility for each team's coaching and support structures.
He will work closely with the team's head coaches to ensure synergies, a consistent brand of cricket, and implementation of best practices set by the franchise.
Zaheer, on the other hand, will be responsible for player development, building MI's robust program around talent identification and grooming and adopting the same across geographies, which has been core to the franchise's philosophy and success. Each geography comes with its unique set of challenges and Zaheer's elevated role will play an important part in helping MI teams across the globe.
"It is an absolute honour for me to lead MI's global cricket operations. Mrs Ambani and Akash's leadership and guidance have made MI the most valued global cricket franchise and I am very happy to see MI grow globally. I look forward to this new responsibility to build a strong cohesive global brand of cricket," Jayawardene said.
"I am humbled to take on this new role and thank Mrs Nita Ambani and Akash for their faith in me. MI has been home for me as a player and as a coaching team member, and now as we embark on a new journey. I look ahead to working closely with all the stakeholders in the global network to unearth new potential that can join the family," Zaheer added.
Jayawardene served as the head coach for MI, while Zaheer was the director of cricket operations.
Mumbai Indians have expanded their base recently after buying MI Emirates and MI Cape Town in UAE’s ILT20 and South Africa’s SA20 League.
