Birmingham Phoenix announce coaching staff for 2026

Birmingham Phoenix have confirmed their coaching staff for the men’s and women’s squads ahead of the 2026 Hundred Auction next week.

Each side will have three assistant coaches to complement the appointment of Shane Bond as Men’s Head Coach and the extension of Ali Maiden as Women’s Head Coach.

The Men’s side will welcome former England wicketkeeper James Foster, Edgbaston favourite Graeme Welch and renowned coach Siddartha Lahiri to the backroom staff, while the Women’s squad will benefit from the knowledge and experience of Fran Wilson, Tom Smith and Jon Lewis.

Welch is no stranger to Edgbaston Stadium, having enjoyed great success as both a player and coach with Warwickshire CCC. Durham-born Welch joins the Phoenix with a wealth of experience in shorter format cricket coaching, having won The Hundred with the Southern Brave in 2021 and reached Finals Day with Hampshire last year. 

Lahiri, meanwhile, has an enviable track record of honing some of the brightest batting talent in world cricket as Head of International Player Development at Royals Sports Group, which boasts the Rajasthan Royals, Paarl Royals and Barbados Royals within its portfolio. 

He has helped to develop and establish the likes of Ollie Pope and Dom Sibley in the professional game, as well as working with senior players such as Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer during their time in the IPL. 

Foster, meanwhile, has a great pedigree in English domestic cricket, whilst also featuring for the international team in all three formats. Following his distinguished 19-year career as one of the best wicket-keeper batters in the country, Foster has gone on to develop impressive experience of coaching in franchise leagues around the world, most notably with Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL and with Northern Superchargers in The Hundred.

Foster said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity to join Birmingham Phoenix. It’s an exciting challenge and one we’re all really looking forward to.”

Men’s Head Coach Bond said: “Bringing Pop, Sid and James into the men’s set-up gives us an outstanding variety of experience. Graeme understands Edgbaston and knows what it takes to win in English conditions, Sid has worked with some of the brightest batting talents in world cricket and has a proven eye for developing players, and James has competed and coached at the very highest level with experience in franchise cricket around the world. 

“Together, they bring a blend of tactical awareness, player development expertise and big-match experience that will be invaluable for our squad in 2026.”

Phoenix women will be buoyed by the appointment of Jon Lewis, who has been a mainstay of the professional game since 1990, when he made his debut for Essex. Since then, he has amassed over 15,000 professional runs, coached Durham to their third County Championship title, followed that up with a One Day Cup victory a year later, gone on to coach the Bangladesh international team, and become a regular in the England Women’s set up as a Batting Consultant.

Lewis said: “I’m really excited to be joining Birmingham Phoenix. Having been around the game for over three decades, I’ve seen how important strong environments and clear identity are to success. The women’s game continues to evolve at pace, and The Hundred is a huge platform. I’m looking forward to sharing my experience and contributing to what Ali and the group are building.” 

He joins the recently retired duo of Smith and Wilson, who remain with the Phoenix having been part of the coaching set-up last year.

Smith retired at the end of the 2025 season after a career which began in the south of England, representing Sussex, Surrey and Middlesex, before settling in the West Country at Gloucestershire, where he spent 12 highly successful years.

He was part of the Gloucestershire team that won the One Day Cup in 2015, and more recently, he was a key member of the squad that lifted their first Vitality Blast trophy at Edgbaston in 2024, retiring with 193 Vitality Blast wickets to his name, the fifth most in the history of the competition.

Wilson represented her country 64 times during her career and has franchise experience as a player, representing two teams in the BBL and four in The Hundred. She retired at the end of the 2025 season and has since stepped into a new role as Head Coach of Gloucestershire Women. 

Women’s Head Coach Ali Maiden said: “We’re incredibly fortunate to have Jon, Fran and Tom with the women’s coaching group. Jon’s experience spans decades in the professional game, and that knowledge will be a huge asset. Fran and Tom both come straight from the modern professional environment, with trophy-winning experience and a real understanding of the demands of modern short-form cricket. That combination of long-term experience and fresh, current insight gives us a brilliant platform to build on.”