Former Pakistani pacer, Umar Gul appointed Afghanistan’s new bowling coach on Wednesday. Afghanistan’s next limited-overs away series against Zimbabwe in June will be Gul’s maiden assignment. He will take over as captain for their forthcoming trip of Zimbabwe, in which they will play three ODIs and as many T20Is. He has been serving as the bowling coach of Quetta Gladiators in the 2021 season of the Pakistan Super League.
Umar Gul appointed Afghanistan’s new bowling coach and this will be Gul’s first coaching assignment in international cricket.
“Gul was recently hired by the Afghanistan Cricket Board as a bowling consultant for a training and preparation camp held in the United Arab Emirates in April. The Pakistani veteran worked with the fast bowlers in our national lineup, and it was decided to award him a permanent contract as the national team’s bowling coach, based on his efficiency in the camp as well as the necessity “Afghanistan Cricket Board issued a statement (ACB).
Before Umar Gul appointed Afghanistan’s new bowling coach, Gul was working alongside former Pakistan captain Younis Khan, who had been hired as the camp’s batting consultant. Gul has similar coaching experience with the Pakistan Super League’s Quetta Gladiators. Afghanistan had also chosen Graham Thorpe as their new head coach earlier this year, succeeding Lance Klusener.
During the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s (ACB) training and preparation camp in Abu Dhabi in April, Gul was hired as a bowling consultant. Younis Khan, a former Pakistan teammate, has joined the camp as a batting consultant.
“The Pakistani veteran worked with the fast bowlers in our national line-up, and it was decided to offer him a permanent contract as the national team’s bowling coach, based on his effectiveness in the camp as well as the need,” the ACB said in a statement.
After playing for Balochistan in the National T20 Cup, Gul, 39, resigned from all forms of cricket in October 2020. Gul played 47 Tests for Pakistan between 2003 and 2016, taking 163 wickets at an average of 34.06. He also took 179 wickets at an average of 29.34 in 130 One-Day Internationals and 85 wickets at an average of 16.97 in 60 T20Is.
Now that Umar Gul appointed Afghanistan’s new bowling coach, previously, he was a member of the Pakistan side that won the 2009 Men’s T20 World Cup in England, as well as the leading wicket-taker during Pakistan’s second-place finish, with 13 wickets at an average of 11.92 and a 5.60 economy rate and now that Umar Gul appointed Afghanistan’s new bowling coach, it will be interesting to see how he approaches his new role.
Before Umar Gul appointed Afghanistan’s new bowling coach, the former pacer previously worked as a bowling coach for Quetta Gladiators in Pakistan’s biggest T20 league, the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He has also coached in the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) and was the head coach of the Galle Gladiators in the previous Lanka Premier League season (LPL).
Afghanistan departed for Zimbabwe on Wednesday afternoon, where they will play three ICC Cricket World Cup Super League ODIs and as many T20I matches from June 4 to 14 in Harare.