Ahead of the T20 series vs. New Zealand, PCB announces Yasir Arafat as high-performance coach
The Pakistan Cricket Board has appointed former all-rounder Yasir Arafat as the high-performance coach for the national team in the upcoming five-match T20 series against New Zealand. Currently based in London, Yasir will soon arrive in Lahore before accompanying the Pakistan white-ball players to New Zealand for the series scheduled to kick off on January 12.
This move is part of the team’s preparations for the ICC World Cup in the West Indies and the USA next year. The selectors have already finalized a 17-member squad for the T20 series in New Zealand.
Yasir Arafat, who previously applied for the position of bowling coach, is a qualified coach with prior coaching stints in New Zealand and England. He will be taking over from Simon Helmut, the current high-performance coach for the ongoing Test series in Australia. Yasir, having represented Pakistan in three Tests and various white-ball games, played a pivotal role in the squad that secured the ICC World T20 title in England in 2009. This marks the fifth coaching appointment with the Pakistan team since Mohammad Hafeez assumed the role of Team Director.
