Veteran Australian leg spinner Shane Warne has been appointed head coach of the Hundred franchise based at Lords. Right-handed Australian batter Lisa Keightley will take charge of the equivalent position as far as the women’s team is concerned.

The duo has been appointed coaches of the respective teams prior to the England Cricket Board’s maiden edition of 100 ball tournament in 2020.

49-year-old Warne is the third men’s coach who has been officially confirmed with his compatriots Simon Katich and Andrew McDonald being the other two.

“I’m very proud and very honoured to be asked to be the head coach of The Hundred team based at Lord’s. The opportunity to coach in a brand-new tournament and work with modern-day players is something that I will really enjoy and I am looking forward to the challenge,” said Warne.

“This tournament will unearth some heroes and hopefully some future World Cup stars for England and other countries,” he added.

Notably, Warne famously led the Rajasthan Royals team to their first and only Indian Premier League title in the inaugural edition in 2008.

“I always want to be ahead of the curve because cricket benefits from innovation and that was the case in 2008 with the IPL, when I was captain-coach of the Rajasthan Royals,” he further said.

“I love the concept of The Hundred and it has grabbed my attention in the same way the IPL did. We built a team from scratch with a diverse range of players from different backgrounds and ages and I can’t wait to build the same mix of players to entertain the fans who come down to Lord’s for The Hundred.”

On the other hand, Keightley already has an experience of coaching the Australia Women’s team. She was also the first female player to register a hundred at Lord’s while playing for the Australia national team against England.

“It is an honour to be appointed as the first female coach for The Hundred and to be a part of a tournament that is set to showcase the best women’s players from around the world,” she said.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time as a coach in England and the prestige and opportunity of this role made it an easy decision for me to come back,” she added.