Former Pakistan coach to guide Rangpur Riders remotely during GSL 2025

Former Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur will oversee Rangpur Riders’ campaign in the 2025 Global Super League (GSL) remotely, as he continues to fulfill his commitments with Derbyshire in the English County Championship.

He led Rangpur to the title in the inaugural GSL season last year, and while he won’t be physically present this time, he will stay closely connected with the team throughout the tournament, which will be held in Guyana.

“As the English County Championship is ongoing and Mickey is coaching Derbyshire County Cricket Club, he is unavailable at the moment,” said team director Shanian Taneem during the team’s jersey unveiling ceremony in Dhaka.

“Therefore, we are appointing Greg Smith as our head coach. He is 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,” he added.

Rangpur Riders will return as defending champions, with the second edition of the GSL set to begin on July 10. Other franchises in the tournament include the Dubai Capitals, Central Stags, Guyana Amazon Warriors, and Hobart Hurricanes.

“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. While forming our squad, we remained in constant touch with him and discussed which players would perform well on Guyana's pitches,” Shanian said.

Wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan will continue to lead Rangpur. Key local players retained from the previous season include Soumya Sarkar, Saif Hassan, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, and Harmeet Singh.

The team also boasts a strong overseas lineup, including West Indies all-rounder Kyle Mayers, South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi, Pakistan’s Iftikhar Ahmed, and Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran.

However, veteran Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is a notable absentee from the squad. Though the tournament is taking place in the West Indies, Shakib has not returned to Bangladesh since the fall of the Awami League government and is currently residing in the United States.

"Shakib Al Hasan is still one of the most valuable players not only in Bangladesh but in any franchise league of the world,” Shanian said.

“It is not that we did not want him in the squad, but we know the situation of the country at this moment. Shakib still can feature in the starting eleven of any franchise team. But keeping the current situation in mind, we were not able to take him in the squad,” he concluded. 

Rangpur Riders will begin their GSL 2025 campaign on the tournament’s opening day, facing Guyana Amazon Warriors in the evening match on July 10.

Rangpur Riders squad for GSL 2025:

Nurul Hasan (captain), Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Naim, Mahidul Islam, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Mohammad Saif, Abu Hider, Rakilbul Hasan, Yasir Ali, Kyle Mayers, Tabraiz Shamsi, Ibrahim Zadran, Akif Javed, Iftikhar Ahmed, Harmeet Singh, Khawaja Nafay.