"Been an incredible experience" - Shane Bond parts ways as bowling coach of Mumbai Indians
Former New Zealand speedster Shane Bond will part ways with the Mumbai Indians as their bowling coach, the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise announced on Wednesday, October 18. The former Kiwi cricketer stated that he will miss all the players he has worked with over the years and the memories created.
Bond has been serving as the Mumbai Indians' bowling coach for the last eight years and has overseen the development of the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Madhwal, Trent Boult, Mitchell McClenaghan, Alzarri Joseph, Arshad Khan, and many more. Under his watch, the franchise won four IPL trophies.
The former Kolkata Knight Riders pacer also thanked the Ambani family for presenting him with the opportunity to work with some incredibly talented cricketers.
The 48-year-old wished them good luck, as quoted by the official website:
"I would like to thank the Ambani family for the opportunity to be part of MI One Family for the last nine seasons. It has been an incredible experience with so many great memories on and off the field. I have been lucky enough to work with and have strong relationships with so many great people, both players and staff. I will miss them all and wish them all the best for the future. Finally thanks to the MI Paltan for their support as well."
Bond's final season with the five-time champions saw them deliver an improved showing after finishing at the bottom in the 2022 edition. They lost to the runners-up Gujarat Titans in the playoffs. Bond began his association with Mumbai Indians in 2015 and saw the franchise lift the trophy that year, followed by titles in 2017, 2019, and 2020.
Shane Bond enjoyed a decent stint as the head coach of the Mumbai Indians Emirates:
The Christchurch-born cricketer will also move on from his role as head coach of the Mumbai Indians Emirates in the ILT20.
Under his tutelage, the MI Emirates won five matches out of 10 in the inaugural season, accumulating 11 points. They lost to eventual champions, the Gulf Giants, in Qualifier 2 by six wickets.