In a recent development, Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) have appointed former Pakistan players as batting and bowling coaches for the short-term. Younis Khan and Umar Gul are set to join the team in Abu Dhabi and will work with the team at a training and preparatory camp for a 15-day stint.

Afghanistan have been making changes in their coaching staff and they recently appointed Graham Thorpe as the head coach of the national team. Thorpe will join the squad by the end of April in UAE where the team is based. Now, they have made two more additions to the staff acquiring the services of Younis Khan and Umar Gul as batting and bowling coach respectively for the short-term. They are set to join the team in Abu Dhabi at a training and preparatory camp for a 15-day stint. 

Younis retired from international cricket in 2017 and has also worked with the Pakistan men’s team as a batting coach. Gul retired in October 2020 and also worked as a bowling coach with Pakistan Super League side Quetta Gladiators. Gul expressed his excitement over the new coaching responsibility. 

“It’s a great opportunity for me to work with the young Afghanistan bowlers. It’s a short stint but I am looking forward to sharing my experiences and hoping to make a difference. They are a young and passionate cricketing nation and I am really excited to be a part of their development,” Gul said to ESPNcricinfo.

“It’s a new experience for me but it will be easy not only for me but also for the Afghan boys because I know their language and culture.”

Afghanistan Cricket Board CEO Naseeb Khan has stated that the UAE camp is a great opportunity for the players to get adequate training. 

“The UAE camp is a great opportunity for the players to get adequate training in the relevant departments of the game and get fully prepared for the future competitions. Younis Khan and Umar Gul have rich experience of international cricket and I am sure they will help our boys overcome the concerns they have got in the batting and bowling departments,” he stated.