PCB names Yasir Arafat as 'High-Performance' coach

Former Pakistan all-rounder Yasir Arafat has been appointed as the High-Performance Coach of the Pakistan Men’s cricket team, confirmed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Tuesday.

Arafat, 41, will take charge during the New Zealand Tour where the Green Shirts are scheduled to play a five-match T20I series in January.

“Former Test all-rounder Yasir Arafat has been appointed as the High-Performance Coach of the Pakistan Cricket Team. He will be part of the team management for the upcoming five T20Is against New Zealand scheduled from 12 to 21 January 2024 in New Zealand,” the PCB said in a brief press release.

“He completed his ECB Level 4 coaching course from Loughborough University, becoming the first Pakistan Test cricketer to do so. He has also worked as a bowling coach with county teams like Sussex and Surrey, as well as with Australia’s Big Bash League franchise, Perth Scorchers. Recently, he worked as a bowling coach with the Hong Kong national team.

“Besides coaching, Yasir has featured for different T20 teams in league cricket around the globe, including appearances for Otago and Canterbury in New Zealand domestic T20 league cricket.

“Yasir will serve as the camp commandant for the five-day camp in Lahore from 29 December to 2 January for the preparation of the tour,” it concluded.

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.

The Pakistan cricket team is currently in Australia to play a three-match Test series in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle which will conclude on January 7.

Just five days after the conclusion of the Test series, Pakistan is scheduled to play their first T20I match against New Zealand on January 12.

Pakistan’s squad:

Shaheen Afridi (c), Aamir Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan (wk), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mojammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan.

Schedule of Pakistan’s 2024 tour to New Zealand

First match: New Zealand vs Pakistan, 12 January, Auckland

Second match: New Zealand vs Pakistan, 14 January, Hamilton

Third match: New Zealand vs Pakistan, 17 January, Dunedin

Fourth match: New Zealand vs Pakistan, 19 January, Christchurch

Fifth match: New Zealand vs Pakistan, 21 January, Christchurch.