Endless meetings. It is the only part that Alex Hartley, spin bowling coach of PSL franchise Multan Sultans, dislikes.
“There are separate meetings for batting, bowling and fielding, which I am still finding tough to deal with,” Hartley tells The Indian Express. She and former Ireland player Catherine Dalton, a fast bowling coach, have been the first female coaches in the league’s history.
Hartley, who has played 28 ODIs and four T20Is for England between 2016 and 2019, and also broke millions hearts in the 2017 World Cup final when she took Harmanpreet Kaur’s wicket, says the experience has been incredible. “Everyone is welcoming and understanding. Ali (Tareen, the franchise owner) has broken boundaries. When he rang me and told me I need you at Multan Sultans, I just couldn’t turn it down. It’s a lot more than cricket,” says Hartley.