Hayden, Philander Pakistan’s new coaches

KARACHI: Former Australian batsman Matthew Hayden and ex-South Africa pacer Vernon Philander have been appointed as Pakistan coaches for T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The announcement was made by the newly-appointed chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja in a press conference here at Gaddafi Stadium. “PCB will also name one local coach for the mega event in the UAE,” Raja said.

“The Australian can bring some aggression into the team. He has experience of World Cups and was a world-class player himself. Having an Australian in the dressing room will be of great benefit for us,” said Raja.

“Pakistan, of course, can win the World Cup. They just need to improve their performances an extra 10 percent. Vernon Philander I know very well, and he understands bowling, and has a great record against Australia,” he added.

Head Coach Misbah-ul-Haq and Bowling coach Waqar Younis resigned last week from their positions. Saqlain Mushtaq and Abdul Razzaq were named as interim coaches for the New Zealand series.

Hayden is considered one of greatest openers of all time. He played 273 games for the Kangaroos, scoring 15066 runs from 1994-2009. Philander played 101 games for Proteas, bagging 269 wickets from 2007-2020.

The two former cricketers came as unexpected appointments, and it was not immediately clear what specific roles they would play. Ramiz also said there would be a head coach appointed alongside them, but did not reveal a name. With input from agencies