Sharjah Warriorz appoint Adrian Birrell as head coach for ILT20 Season 5

Sharjah Warriorz have confirmed Adrian Birrell as their head coach for ILT20 Season 5. The franchise announced on Monday, August 10.

The 65-year-old brings a substantial coaching record across franchise and international cricket. He was most recently serving as head coach of Sunrisers Leeds in the Women's Hundred competition in England at the time of his appointment.

"I am delighted to be joining the Sharjah Warriorz ahead of the upcoming ILT20 season. I am excited to work with this talented group of players and support staff as we build a new campaign. Our objective will be to create a strong team culture, maintain high standards and instil a winning mindset among everyone," Birrell said, as quoted by Cricinfo.

In the SA20, Birrell oversaw Sunrisers Eastern Cape's run of three championship titles, a tally that places the franchise ahead of every other team in the competition's history. His county career included a seven-year stint at Hampshire, and he spent five years as assistant coach of South Africa between 2013 and 2017.

His international head coaching career began with Ireland, whom he led from 2002 to 2007. The highlight of that tenure came at the 2007 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in the West Indies, where Ireland reached the Super Eight stage and defeated Pakistan along the way.

"We are delighted to welcome Adrian Birrell as the Head Coach of Sharjah Warriorz. Adrian is one of the most successful coaches in franchise cricket today, with an incredible track record of building winning teams and delivering trophies. As we enter a new chapter in the journey of the Sharjah Warriorz, we wanted a leader who shares our ambition of competing for championships. We are confident he will help establish a culture that can drive sustained success and give our fans a team capable of challenging for the DP World ILT20 title," Kshemal Waingankar, COO of Sharjah Warriorz, said, as quoted by Gulf News

Sharjah Warriorz finished at the bottom of the points table in ILT20 Season 4 and have not won the title in any previous edition of the tournament. ILT20 Season 5 is scheduled to begin on November 22, with the final set for December 20.