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Shane Bond has been removed as Birmingham Phoenix head coach midway through his two-year contract after the team endured a difficult campaign in The Hundred. The former New Zealand fast bowler had taken charge ahead of the 2026 season, replacing Daniel Vettori.
Shane Bond's departure comes after Phoenix finished at the bottom of the men's competition with just one win from eight matches. The franchise began the season with a victory but then lost their next seven games, leaving them with four points and a net run rate of -1.318.
Birmingham Phoenix went on a seven-match losing streak in The Hundred
Birmingham Phoenix started their campaign positively on July 24, defeating Trent Rockets by 10 runs. However, that victory was followed by a dramatic collapse in their results.
They were beaten by Manchester Super Giants by 87 runs on July 26 before suffering another defeat against Southern Brave, who won by 12 runs on July 30. Phoenix then lost to Welsh Fire by seven wickets on August 1, with Fire reaching their target with four balls remaining.
The losing streak continued against Trent Rockets on August 5, when Phoenix went down by seven wickets with 17 balls still available. They were then beaten by Sunrisers by 45 runs on August 7 before London Spirit completed a seven-wicket victory with 18 balls remaining on August 9. Their final match against MI London on August 12 brought another defeat, this time by two runs.
As a result, Shane Bond's Phoenix finished eighth in the men's standings with one win and seven losses, four points and a net run rate of -1.318. They have never won the men's or women's Hundred and also finished bottom of the combined Helix standings in 2026.
The franchise is now jointly operated by US investment firm Knighthead Capital and Warwickshire, with England footballer and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham among its minority investors.
Shane Bond sacked by Birmingham Phoenix halfway through two-year contract
Bond, who has extensive coaching experience, was appointed Phoenix men's head coach last November. His contract was due to run until the end of the 2027 season.
However, the team's poor campaign prompted the management to make a change before the next season. Speaking to Cricinfo, Shane Bond confirmed his departure on Wednesday, October 7, and admitted he was disappointed that he would not be able to complete the agreement.
Birmingham Phoenix also had several problems with availability and form during the tournament. Captain and highest-paid player Jacob Bethell missed the competition because of injury, while overseas fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was also ruled out.
Several other high-profile signings failed to deliver consistently, including Rehan Ahmed, Donovan Ferreira, Mitchell Owen and Saqib Mahmood.
Birmingham Phoenix's dressing room environment became poor under Shane Bond
As per the same Cricinfo report, the team's results were accompanied by growing tensions within the dressing room as the losing run continued.
Shane Bond was not in good terms with cricketers and lost the backing of some players and members of staff, while also expressing his dissatisfaction with the environment inside the team.
Following an end-of-season review, Birmingham Phoenix management, led by Warwickshire director of cricket James Thomas, decided that a coaching change was required ahead of the 2027 campaign.
The timing is significant because the Hundred's player retention window is scheduled to open next Friday. Phoenix are therefore expected to move quickly to identify Bond's replacement.
Former Warwickshire players Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell could emerge as candidates, particularly after criticism over the lack of local representation in Phoenix's men's squad during the 2026 season.
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