Shane Bond replaces JP Duminy as Head Coach of Paarl Royals for SA20

Royals Sports Group-owned franchise Paarl Royals on Wednesday announced former New Zealand pacer Shane Bond as the new Head Coach for the 2024 season of South Africa’s T20 league - the SA20. Shane Bond was recently also roped in by Paarl Royals' sister franchise, Rajasthan Royals, in the dual role of Assistant Coach and Fast Bowling Coach for the Indian Premier League.

Hyderabad: Royals Sports Group-owned franchise Paarl Royals on Wednesday announced the appointment of former New Zealand pacer Shane Bond as the new Head Coach for the 2024 season of South Africa’s T20 league - the SA20. Shane Bond has replaced former South African all-rounder JP Duminy in the position, with the latter currently serving the national team.

Bond, a former New Zealand fast bowling sensation, was also announced as the assistant and bowling coach of the Indian Premier League franchise, Rajasthan Royals through a media statement this year on October 23. Bond has in the past served as the bowling coach for the Blackcaps between 2012 to 2015 where he helped them reach the final of the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup.

He was then employed by five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians in 2015 and contributed significantly to their success of winning four titles in nine seasons. Under his guidance, several pacers, including Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell McClenaghan, and Trent Boult transformed into T20 specialists.

Royals' Director of Cricket, Kumar Sangakkara, welcomed the 48-year-old for his debut season in the SA20. "Apart from being a fierce competitor during his playing days, Shane (Bond) has also excelled in his various coaching roles across teams and leagues, and we are delighted to have him lead the coaching team at Paarl Royals. The inaugural season provided us with a lot of learnings after our semi-final finish, and we believe that his experience, commitment, and vision align well with our goals for the upcoming season," Sangakkara said.

Bond shared his thoughts on the opportunity and said, "It is a new challenge for me personally to be heading to the SA20, but what gives me the belief is the strong squad we have been able to assemble for the upcoming season. We have so much experience and immense potential in our ranks, which makes me excited to join the group in January and work towards achieving our target of lifting the trophy."