London, 4 October (HS): Andy Flower, the former England head coach, has been named the new head coach of the London Spirit men’s team on a multi-year contract. Flower, 57, joins the Spirit after a successful five-year tenure with Trent Rockets, where he led the side to the title in 2022.

The appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the Lord’s-based franchise, which earlier this year welcomed a significant investment from a consortium of US-based technology entrepreneurs.

Flower’s global pedigree is well established: he coached England from 2009 to 2014, guiding the team to the pinnacle of the Test rankings and an unforgettable Ashes triumph in Australia. His franchise credentials were further burnished by helping Royal Challengers Bangalore claim their maiden IPL title, working alongside Mo Bobat—now the Spirit’s Director of Cricket.

“I am extremely excited to join London Spirit and to have the opportunity to work at the home of cricket, Lord’s,” Flower said.

“It is a privilege to be part of such a prestigious organisation. I am also thrilled to reunite with Mo and to collaborate for the first time with MCC and the Tech Titans consortium.”

Flower replaces Justin Langer, whose one-year stint as Spirit coach ended in a disappointing seventh-place finish last season.Mo Bobat, London Spirit’s Director of Cricket, welcomed the move: “Securing Andy’s services is a real coup for us. He has an outstanding record in both international cricket and franchise teams. My previous experience working with him was extremely positive, and I am confident we will make a special connection with London Spirit.”

Bobat added, “I would also like to thank Justin Langer, who led the team with great integrity and commitment during the 2025 season.”

London Spirit are now entering a new era of ownership. While the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) retains a 51% controlling stake, a 49% shareholding has been acquired by Tech Titans, a group that includes Satyan Gajwani (CEO, Times Internet), Nikesh Arora (CEO and Chairman, Palo Alto Networks), Egon Durban (Co-CEO, Silver Lake), and other senior executives from Google, Adobe, and YouTube.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar