Quetta Gladiators have faced a massive blow ahead of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025. Head coach Shane Watson will not be part of the squad for the next edition of the league due to the change in the schedule of the tournament, which was played in the February-March window every year.
This is a massive surprise as Shane Watson has been associated with Quetta Gladiators for a long time. He played as a player for the team for a long time before taking over as the head coach of the team ahead of the 2024 edition of the Pakistan Super League.
Watson will not continue as head coach due to his pre-signed long-term deals. The development was confirmed by Quetta Gladiators on their social media account, saying that the former Australian player was the team's lucky charm.
Quetta Gladiators Head Coach Shane Watson Will Not Be Able To Continue As Head Coach With The Franchise For HBL PSL Season 10 As The League Window Has Changed – Franchise Statement
The statement said, “Quetta Gladiators head coach Shane Watson will not be able to continue as head coach with the franchise for HBL PSL Season 10 as the league window has changed, which will affect his pre-signed long-term deals.
“Watson was a lucky charm for the franchise as the Gladiators won the PSL title when he came to Pakistan as a player, while QG qualified for the play-offs after a four long year wait as soon as Watson took over team management. .”
Quetta Gladiators will always be indebted to Shane Watson for his outstanding contribution both as a player and head coach – franchise owner Nadeem Omar
Quetta Gladiators owner Nadeem Omar also spoke about the development, saying they will be indebted to Watson's contribution to the team. He also wished her luck for her future pregnancies and said:
“Quetta Gladiators will always be indebted to Shane Watson for his outstanding contribution both as a player and head coach. The Gladiators are known around the world because of certain superstars who have represented our franchise, and Shane is at the top of that list.
“We wish Shane all the best in his future endeavors and I have no doubt he will be one of the most sought after coaches in world cricket.”
📰 UPDATE about SHANE WATSON 📰@ShaneRWatson33 unavailable to continue as head coach of Quetta Gladiators in HBLPSL10
We will miss Watto's presence in the time-dug QG @thePSLt20 matches.
Quetta Gladiator Owner Mr. Nadeem Omar extended his best wishes to Shane… pic.twitter.com/vJxM6gn4XN
— Quetta Gladiators (@TeamQuetta) January 15, 2025
Shane Watson has played an important role in Quetta Gladiators and Sarfaraz Ahmed is likely to be the head coach
Watson played an important role in Quetta Gladiators winning the PSL title in 2019. He was the best with the bat as he had 430 runs throughout the season to win the 'Player of the Tournament' award. Under his guidance last year, the team reached the play-offs, losing in the playoffs.
With Watson parting ways with the franchise, there have been several reports claiming that Quetta Gladiators might bring in Sarfaraz Ahmed as their coach. The batsman went unsold in the draft and will now take over as the team's coach.
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