look news india
Manchester, 16 October (Hindustan Reporter). Manchester Originals have handed Simon Katich a one-year contract extension after their men's side managed just one win this season, although the club have also fired Stephen Parry as women's coach. Parry had commanded the women's team for two years.
Decisions on the futures of both coaches were taken by the Origins Board, which has been reorganized to reflect their closer relationship with Lancashire from 2025. The county will become the majority shareholder in Originals next season when they are handed a 51% stake by the ECB, while the remaining 49% will be sold to a private investor.
Lancashire's director of cricket Mark Chilton has been given the responsibility of leading the appointment process of the women's team head coach as Perry's successor. Lancashire board member James Sheridan has taken over as chairman of Originals from broadcaster Mark Chapman, although Chapman will remain on the board.
Former Australia batsman Katich has coached the Originals men since the inaugural season of the Hundred in 2021, and said he has “unfinished business” after agreeing to return in 2025.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed leading Manchester Originals over the last three years and I am looking forward to next year,” Katich was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
The Originals finished as runners-up in the 2022 and 2023 seasons of the Men's Hundred, losing in tight finals against Trent Rockets and Oval Invincibles. But they failed to recover from the absence of injured Jos Buttler this year, finishing seventh under Phil Salt's captaincy after winning only one of their eight matches.
“We are all disappointed with how this season turned out, especially as we came so close to 2022 and 2023,” Katich said. I think we have unfinished business given the events of the last three editions of The Hundred and all of us at Originals will make sure we get back on track next year… We are determined to win it for Manchester.”
Meanwhile, Parry has been replaced after finishing sixth in the Women's Hundred this season. The Originals are the only women's team not to have reached the knockout stages in any of the first four editions of the tournament, and are hoping to appoint “a world-leading female short-format head coach” for 2025 and beyond.
