Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have appointed England Mo Bobat as their Director of Cricket for IPL 2024. Bobat has been a part of the England Cricket Board for the last 12 years and is serving as ECB’s Director of Cricket since 2019. The 40-year-old played a crucial role in establishing England’s revolutionary approach to play cricket that made them win the 2019 ODI World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Notably. Bobat has also worked previously with RCB’s newly appointed Head Coach Andy Flower during his stint as England Cricket team’s coach. Under his (Flower) stint, England won the T20 World Cup in 2010. Meanwhile, RCB, who are still stranger to winning the trophy would be having high hopes from the duo to guide them towards glory for the first time.
Bobat played a crucial role in identifying, developing and preparing an extensive pool of players for England across formats. Now in RCB Team, he will be responsible for talent recruitment and performance plans and establishing the cultural and high-performance foundations to gain success in the future.
“We are delighted to welcome Mo Bobat as the Director of Cricket for RCB in the IPL. RCB has always focussed on a performance-oriented approach and creating a play culture that reflects its ‘playbold’ philosophy. Bobat has already proved what he can do in a similar role with England, and I believe, with expertise and years of experience, he will guide RCB to newer horizons and excellence,” Chairman of RCB and Chief Commercial Officer, Diageo India Prathmesh Mishra was quoted as saying by India Today.
Meanwhile, Vice President & Head of Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajesh V Menon commented, “The Position of Director of Cricket is an important position in the development of our long-term strategy of elite performance. We believe Mo has the knowledge & expertise to take us forward in this area.”
Must Read: IPL 2024 Retained and Released Players List
Mo Bobat also expressed his gratitude for being appointed as the Director of Cricket in RCB. He also acknowledged previous members of the franchise, Mike Hesson and Sanjay Bangar for their contribution throughout the years.
“I’m both excited and proud to be joining RCB as Director of Cricket. RCB is one of the most recognisable franchises in the world, with a renowned fan base. To serve them will be a huge honour. It’s important to acknowledge the work of both Mike Hesson and Sanjay Bangar, for the stability and consistency they have provided over recent years,” Bobat said.
“I’m really looking forward to working closely with Andy Flower, somebody I know well, to take on the baton and deliver the success that RCB craves. When the time comes, I’ll leave the ECB with the heaviest of hearts. I’ll be forever grateful for all of the opportunities and support that I have received over the years and will carry with me many special memories, shared achievements and friendships. Andy and I are relishing the challenges ahead, and we’re looking forward to helping Faf and the players to fulfill their potential,” he further added.