PCB retains Pakistan men's team coaching staff and management ahead of Afghanistan ODIs, Asia Cup

The Pakistan Cricket Board on Friday retained the coaching and management staff for the men’s team ahead of the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, followed by the Asia Cup.

The decision implies that Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur, head coach Grant Bradburn and team manager Rehan Ul Haq will continue in their respective roles.

Morne Morkel (bowling coach), Andrew Puttick (batting coach) and Aftab Khan (fielding coach) have also been retained.

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After Zaka Ashraf took over as chairman of the PCB’s Cricket Management Committee and appointed a Cricket Technical Committee, speculations were rife that the foreign coaches could be shown the door.

But reliable sources said that better sense had prevailed and Ashraf heeded to advice that it would be risky to make changes in the team management at this stage, with two major events lined up.

Hence, these decisions have been put off until the end of the World Cup.

All members of the team management were appointed by the former CMC and its head Najam Sethi.

Ashraf, meanwhile, has made two major changes.

Former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq is now the chief selector but Mark Coles, the Pakistan Women’s coach, has been released from his duties.

Coles, who was appointed by Sethi for a second such stint, has resigned due to personal reasons.

He will not be available with the women’s side for the upcoming white-ball series against South Africa, which is set to start from 1 September in Karachi, said a release from the PCB.

But a reliable source said Coles was politely asked to step down with benefits from his contract as the PCB had other plans for the women’s team.

Pakistan will play against Afghanistan in a three-ODI series in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, from 22-26 August after which the team will return home for the start of the Asia Cup from 30 August.

Player support personnel: Rehan-ul-Haq (team manager), Mickey Arthur (Director – Pakistan men’s team), Grant Bradburn (head coach), Andrew Puttick (batting coach), Morne Morkel (bowling coach), Aftab Khan (fielding coach), Abdul Rehman (assistant coach), Dr Sohail Saleem (team doctor), Drikus Saaiman (strength and conditioning coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi (media manager), Lt Col Usman Anwari (Retd) (security manager), Ammar Ahsan (digital content producer, only for Asia Cup), Maqbool Ahmad Babri (psychologist), Talha Ejaz (analyst) and Malang Ali (masseur).

Pakistan moves back to previous domestic cricket structure

The Pakistan Cricket Board on Friday reverted to its previous structure of domestic cricket which included departmental and regional teams, while also adding anoter First-Class competition to the calendar.

The decision to move back to the old system means Pakistan cricket authorities have done away with the quality over quantity philosophy, implemented on the instructions of the former Prime Minister and 1992 World Cup winning captain Imran Khan.

The PCB experimented with having domestic cricket with six teams for the last three years.

The 2023-24 domestic season will feature two separate First-Class events: The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and the Presidents Cup, with a total of 16 departmental and regional teams in the fray.

The board will also organise non First-Class events for 10 regional teams and more departments in the season.

In 2019, Khan’s proposal for a new domestic system had scrapped the role of the departmental teams in Pakistan cricket.

Only six regions were allowed to compete in the premier First-Class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, while the second XIs of the same teams competed in a non First-Class tournament simultaneously.

The board, without any sponsorship, directly paid the players their match fees, allowances and monthly contracts besides air travel and stay in premier hotels for the new structure.

The plan proposed by Khan was implemented and followed by former chairman Ehsan Mani and Ramiz Raja, and had come in for plenty of criticism for ending departmental cricket, which has been the backbone of Pakistan cricket since the 1970s.

Not only the former PM, but the board was also criticised for costing hundreds of cricketers their jobs with departmental teams.

In the new domestic structure announced on Friday, the board said the 2023-24 domestic season will bring more competition and quality cricket with enhanced earning opportunities.

The system will now have eight regional sides and as many departmental teams competing in separate First-Class tournaments.

This step will make sure that the regions and departments compete on a level playing field by utilising the best available talent, a statement said.

The board said the domestic structure is framed by the PCB Cricket Technical Committee, which is headed by former captains Misbah-ul-Haq and includes Mohammad Hafeez.

The committee had several meetings with all stakeholders to bring them on board, including regional presidents and representatives of departments, the release said.

Pakistan’s domestic season will start on 10 September with the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, pitting top regional teams against each other, following which, the top eight departments will feature in the President’s Trophy, starting December 15.

The two tournaments will be played on a single-league basis and the table toppers will play the final.

The 18 regional sides have been slotted with eight teams playing the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, while 10 regions will be playing Hanif Mohammad Trophy, a non First-Class four-day tournament.

The board has renamed the non First-Class event as the Hanif Muhammad Trophy as a tribute to one of Pakistan’s greatest batters.

PCB informed that 40 departmental and bank sides had registered for the coming season.

The board also announced white-ball List A and T20 events for the regions, with all 18 regions featuring in the T20 championship.

PCB added that departments will also play a white-ball tournament, the details of which will be announced later.