Trinbago Knight Riders Head Coach Brendon McCullum Unavailable For CPL 2021

Former New Zealand cricketer and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Brendon McCullum won’t be available for KKR’s sister franchise Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) in the Caribbean Premier League 2021 edition.

McCullum, who was appointed as the head coach of TKR in 2020, will be unavailable for the Caribbean franchise because of personal reasons and travel restrictions in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Imran Jan to replace Brendon McCullum as TKR head coach

TKR assistant coach Imran Jan, who was a local player for Trinidad and Tobago, will stand as the head coach in McCullum’s place for the upcoming season. Trinbago Knight Riders have also included former West Indies player Dinanath Ramnarine as the team’s advisor.

Ramnarine played for West Indies in 12 Tests and four ODIs in an international career spanning from 1997 to 2002 and just like Jan he was a Trinidadian cricket.

“Head Coach Brendon McCullum is unavailable for CPL 2021, due to personal reasons & COVID-related travel restrictions. Consequently, TKR have appointed Imran Jan as the Head Coach for CPL 2021. “Additionally, Dinanath Ramnarine, the former West Indies player, has joined the support staff as an advisor,” TKR issued a statement. 

Brendon McCullum helped TKR win CPL 2020

In his first stint with TKR, McCullum won the CPL 2020 as Head coach of the team as the Kieron Pollard-led side defeated St Lucia Zouks (now St Lucia Kings) in the final to win their fourth CPL title since 2013. However, McCullum will be available for IPL team KKR in the second phase of IPL 2021 in UAE.

The CPL is being played earlier than its regular time after talks between Cricket West Indies(CWI) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in order to accommodate the remaining fixtures of IPL 2021 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Trinbago Knight Riders will start their campaign against Guyana Amazon Warriors at Warner Park on August 26.

Also Read: 5 Worst Signings By Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) In IPL History