LSG set to launch cricket academy after World Cup at Ekana stadium
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are set to launch their cricket academy in collaboration with Ekana Sportz City’s Cricket Academy after the cricket World Cup. Negotiations are underway, and the academy is expected to start functioning in December-January. LSG has appointed Justin Langer as their head coach and MSK Prasad as a strategic consultant for the next season.
After successfully playing all their seven league matches in their second season of the Indian Premier League, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are all set to launch their cricket academy at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium here jointly with the Ekana Sportz City’s Cricket Academy.
If sources are to be believed, the negotiations between LSG and the Ekana Sportz City are on. And if all goes well, the first-ever academy of the Lucknow Super Giants will start functioning here after the conduct of the cricket World Cup. Five matches of the World Cup are scheduled to be played at the Ekana Stadium in October-November.
“Negotiations are on between the two parties, and we are confident to have the LSG-Ekana Cricket Academy functioning soon after the World Cup in December-January,” said a person privy to the negotiations. “There would be no merger of the Ekana cricket academy with the LSG academy, but it would be joint academy of both parties.”
LSG had a consecutive third-place finish after suffering a heartbreaking loss to the Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator at Chepauk. The next season of the Indian Premier League would start in April-May 2024. Before that, the LSG management appointed legendary former Australian cricket team coach and batsman Justin Langer as their team head coach after the two-year contract of Andy Flower came to an end at the conclusion of the second season.
Justin Langer was appointed as the coach of Australian cricket team in May 2018. During his tenure, Australia defeated England 4–0 in the Ashes series. With Langer as coach, Australia also won the T20 World Cup for the first time in 2021. Apart from this, Perth Scorchers also won the Big Bash title three times under the guidance of Langer.
This week, LSG appointed former India cricketer MSK Prasad as strategic consultant of the team for the next season. In his previous stint, he served as the Chairman of the Senior Selection Committee with the BCCI. He has also served as the director of Cricket Operations at the Andhra Cricket Association, where he orchestrated the establishment of state-of-the-art coaching facilities across 13 districts within the Andhra region.
