Renowned South African coach Mickey Arthur will continue his involvement with the Rangpur Riders in the upcoming 2025 Global Super League (GSL), albeit from a distance, due to his current commitments with Derbyshire County Cricket Club in the English County Championship.
In Arthur’s absence, the Riders have appointed Greg Smith as head coach for the tournament. Smith will operate under Arthur’s remote supervision throughout the GSL campaign. Rangpur Riders Team Director Shanian Taneem confirmed the arrangement during a press conference held on Sunday following the team’s jersey unveiling and sponsorship signing ceremony at Bashundhara Sports City.
“As the English County Championship is currently ongoing and Mickey is coaching Derbyshire County Cricket Club, he is unavailable at the moment,” Shanian stated. “Therefore, we are appointing Greg Smith as our head coach—someone Mickey fully trusts. Mickey will stay connected with the players and continue to offer his input. Greg will lead the team under Mickey’s guidance.”
Arthur previously coached the Riders in the last edition of the GSL as well as in the most recent Bangladesh Premier League season. He also played a key role in shaping the squad for the upcoming tournament.
“Mickey Arthur was our head coach during the previous Global Super League and the last edition of the Bangladesh Premier League. We have strong confidence in his abilities,” Shanian said. “While forming our squad, we remained in constant touch with him and discussed which players would perform well on Guyana’s pitches.”
Former Bangladesh national team captain Mohammad Ashraful will also return to the Riders’ coaching panel. He played a vital supporting role in the team’s successful GSL campaign last season and will once again contribute from the sidelines.
“Mohammad Ashraful will be part of our coaching setup,” Shanian confirmed. “His contributions during our last GSL campaign were significant. Despite various limitations, the support he gave us was a major boost. So, our coaching panel will include both Greg Smith and Mohammad Ashraful.”
The 2025 edition of the Global Super League will feature five teams and will be held in Guyana from 10 to 18 July. Defending champions Rangpur Riders will look to retain their title under this new coaching arrangement.