Former New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming has been appointed as Head coach of the Bengal Tigers for the second edition of the Heera Group T10 League, confirmed by the franchise on Thursday (30 August).

He will replace Pakistan great Waqar Younis as Tigers coach for the second season of the UAE-based tournament, which will kick off in November this year.

Fleming, who guided Chennai Super Kings to three Indian Premier League titles as well as Champions League titles, is regarded as one of the shrewdest captains of his era and because of his aura the franchise wanted to acquire his services for the next edition of the tournament.

As per reports in Gulf News, Anis Sajan, Bengal Mentor, said in a press conference while announcing his appointment, “We wanted Fleming as our team coach because of his aura. He has carried himself so many years as a player and the most successful captain for New Zealand team. As a coach, he has won three IPL title for Chennai Super Kings. He is the only coach who could guide Chennai to the final six times, which even Mumbai could not achieve though they too won the IPL title thrice. He also ensured that Chennai win the Champions League title thrice. So we feel he is the best person for the job.”

Fleming is also delighted to join the Bengal Tigers as Coach and excited for getting the new experience. He said in a message, “I am delighted to be the coach of Bengal Tigers. I did watch with interest the success of last year’s tournament and look forward to working with team mentor Anis Sajan. This format of the game is still very new so the chance to work with Sajan and some of the best players in the world is very appealing. This franchise has pre-selected five world Class players and the upcoming draft will be a great opportunity to build a team that can push hard for the trophy.”

Meanwhile, Sajan signed off by saying that how Fleming reacted when asked about team selection for the second edition, “Fleming surprised me by his candid remark that he would use my experience of being part of the first edition in shaping the team. That showed his modesty despite being a great coach and that is why he has been able to carry the players along.”

Noteworthy, Fleming also carries with him the experience of being coach of Rising Pune Super Giants in the IPL and Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League.