Michael Klinger has been brought in as batting coach at ILT20 team Gulf Giants after they appointed Simon Helmot as the head coach to replace Jonathan Trott last month.
Kadeer Ali, meanwhile, has joined as the fielding coach and Gary Brent has taken over as the strength and conditioning coach. They joined Shane Bond (bowling coach), James Pipe (physiotherapist) and Saurabh Walkar (performance analyst) in the support staff.
Gulf Giants were the ILT20 champions in the inaugural season, in 2023, but haven't made the title round since, and finished fifth in the six-team competition in the 2025-26 season.
"Klinger brings extensive experience as both a player and coach," a team statement on the appointments said, and "is well acquainted with [the group's] high-performance environment and player development approach". Klinger is also the coach of WPL team Gujarat Giants, owned by the same group that owns Gulf Giants, Adani Sportsline.
"This is an exciting opportunity to join another team within the group," Klinger said. "Gulf Giants have strong foundations and I'm looking forward to working closely with Simon and the rest of the staff to help build a solid unit that can make a big impact in the new season."
Klinger has previously worked as a coach and general manager in men's cricket with Melbourne Renegades, Cricket NSW and Washington Freedom, as well as his experience in the WPL and the Hundred in the women's game. Kadeer's main experience has been with Worcestershire and Birmingham Phoenix in the UK.
Helmot joined Gulf Giants in mid-May after severing ties with Melbourne Renegades despite two years being left on his contract there. Trott, the Gulf Giants coach before Helmot, left after just one season in charge.
