Former West Indies cricketer and head coach Phil Simmons has now been appointed in the same capacity by Pakistan Super League franchise Karachi Kings ahead of the PSL 2024 season.

Simmons will take over South African Johan Botha, who coached the Kings in PSL 2023, where they finished in second-to-last place in the standings.

Simmons, who played 26 Tests and 143 ODIs for West Indies from 1987 to 1999, has had a long coaching career, including many stints with the team, the most recent of which ended after the team's first-round exit from the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.

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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). 

"Returning to Karachi, a city I hold dear from my playing days feels like a homecoming, I am thrilled to join forces with Haider Azhar and the rest of the team's think tank, drawing from the rich cricketing heritage of this country.

I am thankful to team owner Salman Iqbal, CEO Tariq Wasi, and Karachi Kings management for this opportunity. We are eager to move ahead with our rebuilding and restart process of Karachi Kings and establish this franchise as a match-winning unit,” Phil Simmons was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

Karachi has won one title - in 2020 - in eight seasons of the PSL. They'll hope the appointment of Simmons will revive their fortunes after their failure to make the playoffs of the tournament in both 2022 and 2023.

The 2024 season of the PSL is scheduled to run from February 13 to March 18.