The pair has been handed short-term contracts as batting and bowling coach

Umar Farooq02-Apr-2022

Younis Khan has had a short stint as batting coach with the Pakistan team•Getty Images

Afghanistan have roped in former Pakistan players Younis Khan and Umar Gul as batting and bowling coach, respectively, on short-term contracts. They are set to join the team in Abu Dhabi for a 15-day stint, working with an expanded squad of 25 at a training and preparatory camp.The Afghanistan Cricket Board had recently named Graham Thorpe as the national team’s full-time head coach, replacing Lance Klusener who stood down in November after a two-year tenure. Thorpe will only join the squad at the end of April in the UAE, where the team is based for now.Related

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Younis, who retired from international cricket in 2017, took to coaching thereafter and was involved with the Pakistan senior men’s set-up as batting coach but resigned after only six months in mid-2021, having “mutually and amicably agreed [with the PCB] that it was time to move in different directions” as per a board official. Gul retired in October 2020 and took up a bowling-coach role with Pakistan Super League side Quetta Gladiators in January 2021.”It’s a great opportunity for me to work with the young Afghanistan bowlers,” Gul told ESPNcricinfo. “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. 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.””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,” ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said in a statement. “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.”