Richard Pyrah Appointed Melbourne Stars WBBL Head Coach

Melbourne Stars have appointed former Yorkshire allrounder Richard Pyrah as their new head coach for the upcoming Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) season.

The 43-year-old Englishman will take charge of the Stars after spending the past three seasons as head coach of Yorkshire Women. Last season’s coach, Andy Christie, will return to an assistant coaching role as he focuses on his responsibilities as head coach of Victoria’s women’s team in the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL).

Christie guided the Stars to the WBBL Knockout last season, where they were eliminated by the Perth Scorchers. The club announced in July that he would step back into an assistant role while continuing his work with Victoria.

Pyrah brings extensive experience across both men’s and women’s cricket. He was also an assistant coach with Sunrisers Leeds in this season’s Women’s Hundred, where he worked alongside Stars captain Annabel Sutherland. Sutherland enjoyed an outstanding campaign, earning Player of the Season honours as Sunrisers reached the final before losing to Trent Rockets.

The former Yorkshire allrounder also has previous experience in the Big Bash League, having worked as a consultant with Melbourne Renegades and Adelaide Strikers between 2015 and 2017.

“Richard is an experienced coach across both women's and men's programs and will bring a diverse skillset to the team,” Stars general manager James Rosengarten said.

“This move is all about strengthening our club. Andy did a sensational job last season guiding our team to the WBBL finals, and having him remain a part of the program was important to us.”

Rosengarten also highlighted the continuity provided by Christie’s existing role with Victoria, where he coaches several Stars players.

“He already coaches a number of our players across the Victorian women's team, so to have that continuity leading into the WBBL season will be an asset for us,” he added.

Pyrah’s appointment comes amid a wider reshaping of coaching roles in the WBBL. Melbourne Renegades recently appointed Gavan Twining, an assistant coach with the Australia women’s team, as their new head coach after Simon Helmot left the club to take charge of Gulf Giants in the ILT20.

With Pyrah now at the helm and Christie continuing as an assistant, the Stars will look to build on last season’s finals appearance and push for a stronger WBBL campaign.