- Pakistan are looking to appoint a bowling coach.
- Several candidates have emerged for the position.
- Shahid Afridi is up for appointment until 2023 World Cup in India.
Umar Gul, a former Pakistani pacer, is one of many candidates who have surfaced for the position of bowling coach for the Men in Green.
Gul’s tenure as Afghanistan’s bowling coach ended recently.
With an impressive career economy of 7.19, the 40-year-old made 237 international appearances for Pakistan across formats, taking 179 wickets in 130 ODIs and 85 in 60 T20Is.
He also played an important role in Pakistan’s triumphant T20 World Cup campaign in 2009.
The legendary all-rounder Shahid Afridi is also up for appointment as chief selector until the 2023 World Cup in India, according to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee, which is led by Najam Sethi.
Afridi had previously been named by the PCB as the temporary chair of the Men’s National Selection Committee for the domestic series against New Zealand.
“I feel honoured to have been assigned this responsibility by the PCB Management Committee and will go to any length to fulfil this responsibility to the best of my abilities,” Afridi was quoted as saying in a PCB press release.
“We need to get back to winning ways, and I have no doubt that through meritocratic and strategic selection decisions, we will help the national side perform well in the series against New Zealand and reclaim the trust of our fans,” he added.
Former cricketers Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar Anjum are also on the panel, and the convener is Haroon Rashid (member Management Committee).
From 1996 to 2018, Shahid Afridi appeared in 27 Tests, 398 ODIs, and 99 T20Is, scoring 11,196 runs and taking 541 wickets. He also captained the national team in 83 international games. He was also a member of Pakistan’s team that won the 2009 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Afridi was also named to the management committee, but opted out to focus on his charitable foundation.
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