London Spirit have significantly increased salaries for off-field cricket staff, aiming to attract top talent ahead of the revamped Hundred competition in August. The move follows a £145m investment from a consortium of entrepreneurs, known as the Tech Titans, who acquired a 49% stake in the team last year.
Director of cricket Mo Bobat confirmed that spending on support staff will be trebled, with the club now able to pay coaches, analysts, and medical staff competitive wages. Previously, these roles were funded by the England and Wales Cricket Board, leading to what one source described as 'embarrassing' salaries.
Bobat, who also serves as director of cricket for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, has recruited several staff from the Indian Premier League side, including head coach Andy Flower, analyst Freddie Wilde, and physio James Pipe. The women's team will be coached by Jon Lewis, with Heather Knight as general manager.
London Spirit have announced eight directly signed players, including South Africans Marizanne Kapp and Dewald Brevis, Australian spinner Adam Zampa, and Englishmen Jamie Overton, Liam Livingstone, and Mahika Gaur. The club also unveiled a new logo featuring the letters L and S, with a nod to Lord's slope, and an official colour palette of blue, 'bacon' (red), and 'egg' (yellow).
Despite local rivals Oval Invincibles rebranding as MI London, both teams will wear blue. Bobat downplayed the similarity, noting that many IPL teams share colours without diminishing rivalries.
