Gary Wilson, the former Ireland Men’s player turned High-Performance Coach, is set to embark on a new coaching journey as a Consultant Coach for the Pretoria Capitals in South Africa’s SA20 franchise cricket tournament. Wilson, who retired from playing in 2020 after an illustrious career with 292 appearances for Ireland Men, has been serving as the senior Ireland Men’s squad’s High-Performance Batting and wicketkeeping Coach since 2021.
The SA20 tournament is scheduled to kick off on January 10, 2024, with the Capitals seeking redemption after finishing as runners-up in the inaugural season. Graham Ford, the former Irish head coach, leads the Capitals as their Head Coach.
Wilson’s coaching expertise, honed in Ireland and the UK, will be applied outside these regions for the first time. His familiarity with players like Paul Stirling, Will Jacks, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Wayne Parnell, and Colin Ingram positions him well within the Capitals’ coaching setup.
Departing for South Africa on January 1, 2024, Wilson looks forward to the SA20 league as an opportunity to contribute to a well-established franchise system and gain valuable insights into T20 cricket. With an eye on the T20 World Cup in June, Wilson stresses the significance of preparing for evolving tactics and approaches, intending to bring back key learnings to benefit Irish cricket.
Cricket Ireland’s support for Wilson’s professional development is evident in their decision to release him for the SA20 tournament. Wilson expresses gratitude to both Cricket Ireland and the Pretoria Capitals for this exciting opportunity to support the squad.
Gary Wilson said: “I’m really looking forward to such a great opportunity to work within an established franchise system and develop new insights into the ever-evolving T20 format.
“With a T20 World Cup in June next year, it’s important that we are doing all we can as coaches and players to ensure we are preparing well for the tactics and approaches that teams will be bringing to the tournament, so this opportunity will be a great experience and, hopefully, I can bring back some learnings to the Irish setup.
“Thanks to Cricket Ireland for releasing me for the tournament and to the Pretoria Capitals for giving me the opportunity to support the squad.”
For Wilson, this move aligns seamlessly with his coaching career evolution from a player to a High Performance Coach. Having led the North West Warriors after retiring from playing, the SA20 franchise league offers Wilson a chance to contribute to the Pretoria Capitals’ success in a different and dynamic cricketing environment.
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