The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced changes in the national team's coaching staff ahead of the two-match Test series against the West Indies. Former left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman has been appointed as the spin bowling coach and his experience as a Test cricketer will strengthen the squad.
Abdur Rehman has joined the Pakistan team in Multan as the spin bowling coach. His first assignment will be the two-match home Test series against the West Indies from January 17-29 in Multan. The team, led by Shan Masood, will play their last series of the ICC WTC 2023-25 cycle.
Abdur Rehman Appointed Pakistan Bowling Coach – Report
Abdur Rehman will focus on improving the performance of key players Noman Ali, Sajid Khan and Abrar Ahmed during the upcoming Test series against West Indies. The national selection committee has named a 15-member squad for the red-ball series, which includes these three spinners.
Rehman previously worked with the Pakistan women's team. The former left-arm spinner will now gain his first experience coaching the Pakistan men's cricket team. Rehman had a successful partnership with Saeed Ajmal in 2011-2012 which contributed to Pakistan's clean sweep over England in the UAE.
Abdur Rehman represented Pakistan from 2006 to 2014
Abdur Rehman represented Pakistan in 22 Tests, 31 ODIs and 8 T20Is between 2006 and 2014. The 44-year-old, who hails from Sialkot, has taken 140 wickets across formats in his international career. The selectors overtook him towards the end of 2014 and he retired from international cricket in October 2018.
Pakistan recently lost their Test series in South Africa. Pakistan scored 211 runs in the first innings of the series opener, South Africa replied with 301 runs. Pakistan set a target of 148 for the final innings. They had a strong bowling effort which reduced South Africa to 99/8 but the hosts won by two wickets.
In the second Test, South Africa dominated by scoring 615 runs in the first innings while Pakistan were dismissed for 194. Pakistan were forced to continue and they fought back with 478 runs in the second innings . South Africa comfortably chased down the 58-run target to win by 10 wickets.
The team management plans to create friendly pitches against the West Indies
For the series, the team management plans to create spin-friendly pitches to take advantage of the home conditions. Chief Curator Tony Hemming introduced the “greenhouse concept”, which involves covering the ground and installing heaters on both sides of the covers to retain heat and prevent dampness.
Hemming's new pitch preparation method is designed to keep the pitch dry and firm, ensuring consistent conditions that favor spinners by preventing moisture loss. Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan played a crucial role with the ball in the last series at home, where Pakistan secured a 2-1 win after losing the first Test.
Two-match Test Series Schedule:
| Match | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| First Test | January 17-21 | Multan Cricket Stadium |
| The second test | January 25-29 | Multan Cricket Stadium |