Days after the franchises came on the same page with the IPL retention policies; there is some big news coming from the Mumbai Indians camp.
The current holders of the Indian Premier League, have replaced one of their coaching personnel and it is a big one.
Fielding coach Jonty Rhodes has parted ways with the franchise making way for James Pamment for IPL 2018.
The legendary South African and arguably the greatest fielder of all-times, Jonty Rhodes, was roped in by the Mumbai Indians in the season of 2009 and has been an integral part of the squad for nine seasons. Jonty Rhodes has now expressed his desire to spend time in personal business ventures and hence put an end to his term with the IPL champions.
“Jonty has been a pillar of strength and energy in Mumbai Indians. His contribution cannot be valued in words. We respect his decision and wish him the best for the future. Jonty will always be a part of Mumbai Indians family for life.” said Akash Ambani.
“We are happy to introduce James Pamment to the MI Paltan (MI Fan Army). James is an experienced coach at the international level having worked with New Zealand Cricket as fielding specialist and development. What impressed us was the way James had coached Northern Districts in Champions League T20 in 2014, and to be honest, his sides’ fielding unit was one of the best Mumbai Indians had ever faced.” he added.
Speaking about the same, Rhodes mentioned it had been a roller coaster ride for him with the men in blue. The extraordinary athlete stated it was an honour for him to work with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Mahela Jayawardene, Ricky Ponting etc and the team has been setting benchmarks in fielding.
Jonty Rhodes expressed his love for the team stating that he will be an MI fan forever.
“It has been a remarkable journey with Mumbai Indians, one that I will cherish all my life,” said Jonty adding, “Over the last nine years, Mumbai Indians has set sporting benchmarks both on and off the field, and personally, it’s been quite a remarkable journey for me to work with fantastic set of individuals like Sachin, Rohit, Anil, Ricky, Mahela and all the support staff and players over the years.
“The team’s focus on young talent and persisting with them is something I believed in, and it was heartening to see the players buying into my methods. Finally, all the success wouldn’t have been possible if it hadn’t been for the Paltan’s support – the greatest fans ever! Like them, I will be an MI fan forever.” he concluded.