With the news that their coach, Mickey Arthur, will continue to carry out his responsibilities without ever being close to Guyana when the second season of the Global Super League (GSL) starts next month, Rangpur Riders are poised to take cricket to the next level.
Mickey Arthur will continue to serve as the head coach of Derbyshire’s County Championship team in Derbyshire, England, some 7,500 kilometers distant. From there, while Rangpur attempts to retain their title, he will attend games, interact with the squad, and assist in developing tactics.
Arthur, who worked with Rangpur when they won the first GSL last season, isn’t even new to this strategy. When he was coaching Derbyshire and serving as the director of Pakistan’s squad in 2023, he employed a similar setup.
During the squad’s jersey reveal in Dhaka, Rangpur’s team director, Shanian Taneem, clarified that they don’t have any issues with Arthur’s remote work.
“Mickey Arthur is currently unavailable due to the English County Championship and his role as coach of Derbyshire County Cricket Club,” Shanian stated. As a result, Greg Smith will be our new head coach. Mickey has complete faith in him. Mickey will continue to communicate with the gamers and provide feedback. Mickey will guide Greg as the team’s leader.
At the same news conference, the Rangpur Riders formally announced their roster for the forthcoming GSL season.
Next month, Khawaja Nafay, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Akif Javed from Pakistan will also be traveling to the Caribbean.
Rangpur Riders Squad for GSL 2025
| Nurul Hasan (captain) | Soumya Sarkar | Mohammad Naim | Mahidul Islam |
| Kamrul Islam Rabbi | Mohammad Saif | Abu Hider | Rakilbul Hasan |
| Yasir Ali | Kyle Mayers | Tabraiz Shamsi | Ibrahim Zadran |
| Akif Javed | Iftikhar Ahmed | Harmeet Singh | Khawaja Nafay |
Although having a head coach work remotely might seem strange, both Mickey Arthur and contemporary franchise cricket have done this before. Coaches can communicate with players in between innings, share plans, and watch live streaming thanks to technology.
Rangpur thinks they can replicate last year’s victory despite their coach being thousands of kilometers away, thanks to Mickey Arthur’s experience and faith in his team. Given the crowded franchise and foreign schedule, additional teams might decide to follow suit if it proves to be effective.
The goal of Rangpur Riders is to defend the title and demonstrate that effective cricket planning is not hampered by distance.
