The Karachi Kings have appointed former West Indies allrounder Phil Simmons as their head coach for the upcoming 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL) season, replacing former South Africa allrounder Johan Botha. Botha coached the Kings to a second-from-bottom finish in the PSL 2023, with three wins from 10 games.
Simmons, who played 26 Tests and 143 ODIs from 1987 to 1999, has an extensive coaching career, including multiple stints with West Indies. He is currently the head coach of Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and LA Knight Riders in Major League Cricket (MLC).
Speaking about his appointment, Simmons expressed his excitement to return to Karachi and work with Kings team director Haider Azhar. He also expressed his gratitude to the team’s owner, Salman Iqbal, and the Karachi Kings management for the opportunity.
The Karachi Kings have won one PSL title in eight seasons and hope that Simmons’ appointment will revive their fortunes after failing to make the playoffs in both 2022 and 2023. Simmons’ first task will be to build Kings’ squad during the upcoming player draft. The 2024 season of the PSL is scheduled to run from February 13 to March 18.
