Yasir Arafat likely to be appointed as high-performance coach for New Zealand T20Is

KARACHI: Former all-rounder Yasir Arafat is likely to be appointed as Pakistan's high-performance coach for the T20 series against New Zealand, slated to take place in January next year, sources told Geo News on Monday.

According to the sources, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to replace incumbent Australian coach Simon Helmot with Arafat, after Pakistan's Test series with Australia.

The veteran cricketer will travel to New Zealand's Auckland and join Pakistan's T20 team on January 3 for their T20I series against the Kiwi. The series is scheduled to begin on January 12, while the last game of the series will played on January 21.

ESPN reported that Arafat has been appointed to the team for just one series at the moment. Helmot, it added, is still a part of the coaching staff for the ongoing Test series in Australia, but he later has "personal commitments", as per the PCB.

The cricket board will also apply for a New Zealand visa for three more players including two bowlers and one batter, as several players are unfit, the sources added.

As per the sources, the former all-rounder's appointment has been done on the recommendation of the team's director Mohammad Hafeez and Arafat has reached Islamabad from London.

Arafat was initially appointed as the Pakistan Under-19 bowling coach in South Africa and has played club cricket in New Zealand.

The former Pakistan athlete has played 27 international matches which include 13 T20 matches. He was also a part of the Green Shirts' squad that won the 2009 T20 World Cup. But he just played one match in the major tournament.