Trevor Bayliss is reportedly set to take over as head coach of The Hundred franchise London Spirit following the tragic death of Shane Warne.
Warne coached London Spirit in the inaugural edition of the competition and was set to return this summer, but passed away after suffering a heart attack at the age of just 52. The legendary spinner will receive a state funeral at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 30.
According to the Evening Standard, Bayliss is set to be named as the franchise's new coach. The report states that the Australian will be in charge on an interim basis for the forthcoming season.
The appointment will see Bayliss reunited with captain Eoin Morgan, with the pair masterminding England 's dramatic 2019 World Cup win. Bayliss' time in charge of England came to an end following that triumph and he has since been a regular on the franchise circuit.
He coached Sydney Thunder in the most recent edition of the Big Bash and spent two years in charge of IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad. London Spirit have retained a total of ten players ahead of this year's tournament, including Morgan and centrally-contracted England stars Zak Crawley and Mark Wood.
Australia 's Glenn Maxwell has also been retained after missing last season, along with Mason Crane, Dan Lawrence, Adam Rossington, Ravi Bopara, Blake Cullen and Brad Wheal. The upcoming draft for The Hundred is set to take place on April 4, with picks getting announced the following day.
The draft was pushed back a week due to a clash with Warne's state funeral. A statement read: "The men's picks from The Hundred Draft and new women's signings will now be announced on Tuesday 5 April, with the next Priority Access window opening on the same date.
"This is a week later than previously advertised due to Shane Warne state funeral taking place on Wednesday 30 March. Shane was a much loved part of The Hundred, and played an important role in launching the competition as Head Coach of London Spirit's men's team.
"He will be hugely missed by everyone involved in the competition." Spirit will have the first pick at this year's draft after finishing bottom last year.
