Follow UsPakistan have appointed former players Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal as their fast bowling and spin bowling coaches respectively. Their first assignment will be the upcoming tour of Australia, comprising three Tests, starting December 14. That will be followed by a T20I series agianst New Zealand which will run from January 12 to 21 next year.
This is not the first time Gul has taken up coaching responsibilities. He was appointed the Quetta Gladiators bowling coach for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2021 and also had a stint with the Afghanistan team as their bowling coach in 2022.
The 41-year-old, who has played 47 Tests, 130 ODIs and 60 T20Is for Pakistan, was also the bowling coach of Pakistan for the T20I series against Afghanistan and the following series agianst New Zealand at home earlier this year.
"I am pleased to join as the bowling coach of Pakistan team and feel honoured to have been given the opportunity," Gul said in a press release.
"Having had previous working experience with the men's side, I will bring my coaching expertise with the aim of elevating Pakistan's bowling prowess to new heights."
Ajmal - a veteran of over 280 international matches for Pakistan, has previously been the bowling coach of Islamabad United. He retired in 2017, picking up 447 international wickets along the way.
"I am delighted to contribute to the development of spin bowling talent within the Pakistan national team. I believe my career and coaching experience will help enhance the spin bowling arsenal of the team," he said.
Following a poor World Cup that saw them rack up just four wins, Pakistan have made plenty of changes, including sacking Babar Azam as captain, paving way for Shaheen Afridi to take over as the T20I coach, while Shan Masood was appointed Test captain.
Wahab Riaz was also appointed Pakistan's chief selector, while Mohammad Hafeez was named the men's team's director. Hafeez will also don the role of head coach for the upcoming tours of Pakistan and New Zealand.