Saqlain Mushtaq will be an assistant coach for New Zealand during the Pakistan trip.
Saqlain Mushtaq, a former off-spinner, is ready to do his job as an assistant coach for the New Zealand team in the upcoming limited-overs match against Pakistan.
“New Zealand Cricket asked me to do this job for a short time, and I agreed. “I will only work with the team as long as they are in Pakistan,” Saqlain told Geo News.
“I’m in the U.S. right now, and when I get back on April 12, I’ll join the New Zealand team,” said the former acting head coach of Pakistan.
During the T20I and ODI series against Pakistan in April and May, Mushtaq will work with the Black Caps. There are five ODIs and the same number of T20Is in the series.
Mushtaq used to be the head coach of the Pakistan team, but when his deal ran out in February of this year, he left the job.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to hire a new coaching staff led by Mickey Arthur, who will be a consultant. This news comes at the same time.
Arthur was the leader of the Pakistan team’s coaching staff for three years, starting in 2016. Pakistan also won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017 while he was in charge.
After the team finished fifth at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, the PCB chose not to renew the contracts of Arthur and his support staff.
Sources say that the PCB is almost done working out all the details of the coaching staff, and that an official statement is coming soon.
Sources also said that Grant Bradburn, from New Zealand, who has worked as Pakistan’s defensive coach in the past, could be named head coach. Former South African pacer Morne Morkel is also in the running to be the bowling coach.
Due to elections in Punjab, the schedule for the game between Pakistan and New Zealand had to be changed recently.
“The Pakistan Cricket Board and New Zealand Cricket have all agreed to make changes to the five ODIs and five T20Is that the New Zealand men’s cricket team will play in Pakistan,” the PCB said in a press release on March 20.
“The team will now go to Lahore, where they will play three T20Is from April 14 to April 17. They will then go to Rawalpindi, where they will play the last two T20Is and the first ODI from April 20 to April 26. The last four ODIs will be played from April 30 to May 7 in Karachi. This is where the tour will end.
“This is an extra tour for the New Zealand cricket team, and the games will count toward the ICC Team Rankings. The ODIs will help Pakistan prepare for the ACC Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. The T20I will help the PCB continue to rebuild the team for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, which will be held in the USA and West Indies in June/July 2024.
Schedule:
April 14: 1st Twenty20 International, Lahore
April 15: 2nd Twenty20 International, Lahore
April 17: Third Twenty20 International, Lahore
4th T20I, April 20, Rawalpindi
April 24: 5th Twenty20 International, Rawalpindi
April 26: First ODI, Rawalpindi
April 30 — 2nd ODI, Karachi
May 3: Third ODI, Karachi
May 5: Karachi, 4th ODI
May 7: 5th One-Day International, Karachi