Former Australian batsman Matthew Hayden and South African seam bowler Vernon Philander have been roped in by the Pakistan Cricket Board to serve as consultant coaches for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
The announcement was made by newly-appointed PCB chairman Ramiz Raja. Hayden and Philander will temporarily fill the void in the coaching staff caused by departures of Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis.
While Hayden and Philander will work with the batting and bowling respectively at the World Cup in Dubai, Pakistan have yet to formalise a long-term coaching plan having also appointed Saqlain Mushtaq and Abdul Razzaq on an interim basis for the series against New Zealand, Raja did reveal the two new coaches would work alongside a new head coach. Incidentally, both Hayden and Philander don’t have any coaching experience.
“Matthew Hayden is Australian, and has experience of winning World Cups and was a great player himself,” Ramiz said on Monday (September 13).
“It might be very beneficial to have an Australian occupying the dressing room. And Pakistan, of course, can win the World Cup, they just need to improve their performances an extra 10%. Vernon Philander I know very well, and he understands bowling, and has a great record against Australia.”
Pakistan, the 2009 T20 World Cup champions, will kick off their quest for a second title against India on October 24.
