Cricket

Darren Gough, the former England fast bowler, has emerged as the frontrunner to become the head coach of Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Gough's appointment as head coach of Qalandars in the Global Super League (GSL), which begins in Guyana on November 26, is seen as a stepping stone towards a permanent role in the PSL.Aaqib Javed, who served as head coach and director of cricket operations for Qalandars for eight years, resigned last month to join the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as a member of the selection committee for the Pakistan men's national team. Qalandars won back-to-back PSL titles in 2022 and 2023 but finished bottom of the table this year.Gough, who retired in 2006 as England's leading ODI wicket-taker, is eager to take on the role. The GSL is seen as an opportunity for him to gain experience before a permanent decision is made.Gough previously served as managing director at his former club, Yorkshire, after being appointed in December 2021 following the racism allegations that rocked the club. He parted ways with Yorkshire in March this year. Before that, he had a stint as England's bowling consultant in 2020.In 2021, Yorkshire launched a partnership with Qalandars aimed at "nurturing talent [by] reducing barriers to entry" following the racism crisis."I'm really excited about this opportunity because I've been fortunate to work with the Qalandars in Lahore on several occasions, assisting with their PDP [player development programme]," Gough said in a statement. "We know that Lahore Qalandars are all about giving young players opportunities they've never had before -developing their skills and shaping them into players who can go on to represent the Qalandars, and hopefully make Pakistan cricket proud."Sameen Rana, co-owner of Qalandars, said Gough's vision aligned "seamlessly with our commitment to player development", referring to the appointment as an embarkation on "a new journey".The GSL will feature five teams: Qalandars, Hampshire Hawks from the T20 Blast, Rangpur Riders from the BPL, Victoria from Australia, and the hosts, Guyana Amazon Warriors. The final will take place on December 7.

Darren Gough, the former Yorkshire and England fast bowler, has stepped down as the club's managing director of cricket after two seasons in the role. Gough took on the position in an interim capacity in December 2021, following the Azeem Rafiq racism crisis that led to the departure of several senior figures at the club.During his tenure, Gough oversaw the appointment of Ottis Gibson as head coach and implemented a number of changes to the playing squad as Yorkshire sought to rebuild. He also played a key role in the development of the club's performance pathway and the growth of the women's game."It's been an absolute honor to work for my boyhood club over the last two seasons," Gough said. "Having stepped in at a very challenging time, we've worked hard to steady the ship and develop our cricket department to ensure we can return to the top tier of English cricket.""In my time here, we have achieved a great deal that I am proud of. The men's squad has been totally rebuilt with significant improvements behind the scenes across all support areas. This has put both the men's team and the Northern Diamonds in a much better place to be able to compete going forward.""The performance pathway is thriving and continues to lead the way nationally, and there is a real energy around what is happening with the Women's game and the next few years will be transformational I'm sure.""Following conversations with the club, I have decided now is the right time to step away from my role and give someone else an opportunity to take our playing squads forward. I'd like to thank all of our players, staff, members, and fans for their considerable support over the last few seasons and wish them all the very best for the coming year.""I will always be a Yorkshire Cricket supporter and look forward to returning to watch our teams in the coming years."Stephen Vaughan, Chief Executive Officer for YCCC, said: "It's been an absolute pleasure to work with Darren since taking on this role.""The contribution he has made to stabilize the Club and drive our playing squads forward has been critical and, I know that, as a Yorkshireman who lives and breathes this Club, he has been so proud to carry out the role.""The work that Darren has done over the last two seasons has built some fantastic foundations and we are very grateful for his time, commitment, and the manner in which he has set about his role."Colin Graves, Chair of YCCC, said: "I'd like to express our sincere thanks to Darren for the work he has put in over the last few seasons.""Darren is a club legend in his own right, having enjoyed two very successful stints as a player here and now helped us through some very difficult times in his role as managing director of cricket. Everyone at the club would like to wish him all the best for the future, and we look forward to welcoming him back to Headingley again soon."