Daily Times

NEW YORK: Former West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul has been appointed the new USA head coach for their senior women’s and the Under-19 women’s teams.USA Cricket announced on Monday that Chanderpaul had agreed to a contract that begins this week, with the junior squad’s participation in the CWI women’s U-19 Rising Stars T20 Championship in Trinidad, and will run through to the end of 2023. Over that stretch, USA will have appearances in the 2023 T20 World Cup Qualifier, scheduled to take place later this year, as well as the inaugural U-19 Women’s World Cup, where USA will be one of 16 teams competing in South Africa in January.

“I am excited to have been appointed as the Head Coach of the USA National Women’s Team and Women’s Under 19 Team,” Chanderpaul said in a USA Cricket press statement. “The Women’s game is something I am a huge advocate of, and I have followed the progress of the USA Women’s National team with keen interest. I’ve enjoyed being involved in American cricket over the years as a resident of Orlando, so to be given this opportunity to become the Head Coach for USA Cricket is an incredible one. I’m really looking forward to using my 20+ years of international cricket and my recent coaching experiences, to help the women’s teams progress to World Cups in years to come, particularly the inaugural Under 19 Cricket World Cup in January.”Chanderpaul replaces former Australia international Julia Price in the position with the senior team and former Pakistan batter Asif Mujtaba with the junior team. Price had been in her role for three years after being brought on board in 2019, but her contract was not renewed earlier this year after USA Cricket announced in May that it would combine the two roles.

The body also said that it was seeking someone who would agree to be based in the USA through the year. Price was based in Australia and had travelled back and forth for her commitments during her tenure. Mujtaba, though a Texas resident for more than a decade, has a full-time job in the hospitality industry.Chanderpaul has been living in Orlando, Florida since 2005 and has been involved in local cricket in a big way. He is a long-time member of Sarasota International Cricket Club, which is located just south of Tampa and is also known for counting the late Richie Benaud as a member and official patron of the club.In addition to playing and doing coaching work in Florida, Chanderpaul has made numerous visits over the years with his club to take part in the Philadelphia International Cricket Festival in Pennsylvania.Chanderpaul first hinted at future involvement in USA’s coaching set-up in July 2016 when he went to Lauderhill to take part in a Cricket Australia coaching seminar geared toward North America-based coaches, that coincided with the CPL’s first season of hosting matches in Florida. He has distinguished playing career of 454 Test, ODI, and T20I matches, and captaining West Indies.