The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed Adam Hollioake as the batting coach for their men's cricket team ahead of the upcoming three-Test series against Australia starting next month. Hollioake, a former England cricketer with experience in four Tests and 35 one-day internationals, joins Pakistan's coaching staff as part of a broader reshuffle in the team's support structure.
This restructuring in the Pakistan cricket setup comes after the Cricket World Cup, which saw significant changes in leadership roles. Former head coach Grant Bradburn and team director Mickey Arthur were replaced by Naveed Akram Cheema and Mohammad Hafeez, who have taken over as the new team director and head coach, respectively.
In the revamped coaching lineup, Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal will take charge of the fast and spin bowling departments, following Morne Morkel's departure. Alongside them, Australian Simon Helmot joins as the high-performance coach, with Abdul Majeed focusing on fielding and Mansoor Rana as the assistant team manager. Drikus Saaiman, the head of strength and conditioning, and physiotherapist Cliffe Deacon are among the few to retain their roles post-World Cup.
Hollioake's coaching background includes stints with teams like Hong Kong, Boost Defenders, and the England Lions. He was scheduled to join the England men's team for the Ashes series in Australia but was unable to participate due to Covid-19 protocols.
In addition to these coaching changes, Babar Azam has stepped down as the captain of the Pakistan team across all formats. Shan Masood now leads the Test squad in Australia, with Shaheen Shah Afridi as the T20 captain.
These new appointments and changes are currently intended for the Test tour against Australia and the subsequent T20Is against New Zealand. However, the interim PCB management committee's decisions could be subject to change following the board's elections scheduled for February.
Australia begins their home summer with this three-Test series against Pakistan, scheduled for Perth (December 14-18), Melbourne (December 26-30), and Sydney (January 3-7). They aim to continue their strong performance and build momentum in these upcoming matches.
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