Indian Premier League franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad has brought West Indies batting legend, Brian Lara, onboard ahead of the coming season.

The 52-year-old Trinidadian has been named the strategic advisor and batting coach for Sunrisers that have also hired South Africa’s Dale Steyn as their pace bowling coach.

“Humbled by @sunriserhyd faith in me. This appointment as strategic advisor and batting coach gives me the opportunity to do a job I have always yearned to do, and that’s to pass on what I know about our wonderful game of cricket to its future stars,” Lara said on Instagram.

“I look forward to the challenge with the same energy and zeal as my playing days.

Tom Moody will now be the head coach, replacing Trevor Bayliss.

Lara and company will have their hands full in attempting to turn the franchise’s fortunes around.

Last season under Bayliss, Sunrisers Hyderbad won just three of their 14 matches in the group stage of the competition and hence failed to make the playoffs.

The franchise had made it to the IPL playoffs in each of the five previous seasons.

During his playing career, Lara was considered one of the best batsmen of all time. In 131 Tests for the West Indies, he scored 11953 runs at an average of 52.88. Among his 34 Test centuries, he has scores of 375 and 400 not out, the latter being the world record for the highest individual score in Test innings.