Victoria would remain priority in Champions League

Shipperd keen to coach Delhi IPL side

Cricinfo staff

February 20, 2008

	Greg Shipperd is in line to coach the Delhi franchise in the Indian Premier League © Getty Images

Victoria's coach Greg Shipperd could join his Western Australia counterpart Tom Moody in taking charge of an Indian Premier League (IPL) team after he was approached by the Delhi franchise. Moody has already signed with the Mohali side and Shipperd is keen to be involved provided Cricket Victoria has no objection.

The appointments will create an interesting situation should either Mohali or Delhi reach the Champions League, which is to feature the top two domestic Twenty20 sides from India, Australia, England and South Africa. Western Australia and Victoria have already qualified but Shipperd and Moody have both said that if the conflict occurs they will guide their Australian state rather than their IPL team.

"Clearly, my first priority is with Cricket Victoria as my employer," Shipperd told the Age. "In the event of coaching both teams to a final, I would be looking after the Victorians and have a process behind the scenes in place to deal with the other side, which they are comfortable with."

Shipperd said he was surprised at the interest from Delhi, however his Twenty20 coaching record is unparalleled. In three years of the Australian domestic competition Victoria have won all three titles and have only lost one match. He is looking forward to the chance to test his management skills with a different group of players.

"It would be a wonderful coaching opportunity to be involved with, to have four or five different international players in the team playing what is the red-hot form of the game at the moment," Shipperd said. "It's on-the-job training and hopefully bringing some positive spin-off to Victorian cricket down the track."

John Buchanan is also strongly tipped to coach the Kolkata franchise, although the only definite Australian signing at the moment is Moody as Shipperd's appointment is not confirmed. Moody says surrounding himself with the world's leading players will be a terrific experience.

"Having to mould a team with stars from around the world into a competitive unit against other extremely talented teams will be a great challenge and one that I am very much looking forward to," Moody said. "In addition to this, I will be exposed to the marketing and promotional expertise that will go into staging a world-class event."

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