Pakistan cricket coaching staff 2021: Matthew Hayden and Vernon Philander to coach Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2021

Matthew Hayden and Vernon Philander: The former Australian batsman and South African pacer have signed new coaching roles.

Former Australia batsman Matthew Hayden and former South Africa fast bowler Vernon Philander have been appointed as Pakistan’s new batting and bowling coaching consultants for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021.

With former Pakistan captains Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis resigning from their respective posts of head coach and bowling coach a week ago, PCB were in immediate need of refurbishing their support staff especially before a world event.

For the time time being, PCB had appointed former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq as interim coaches for the imminent ODI series against New Zealand.

The development came merely hours after former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja has been appointed as the Chairman of PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board). Addressing the reporters after taking charge, Raja didn’t talk about the exact roles which Hayden and Philander are expected to play with the senior men’s team but did hint at them working under a separate head coach (yet to be named).

Matthew Hayden and Vernon Philander to coach Pakistan in ICC T20 World Cup 2021

Hayden, who has an experience of 273 international matches across formats, has 15,066 runs under his belt including 40 centuries and 69 half-centuries. Philander, on the other hand, had picked 269 wickets in 101 matches across formats which comprised of 13 five-wicket hauls. No slouch with the bat in hand, Philander had scored 1,944 international runs with the help of eight half-centuries back in the day.

Having last played for Australia and South Africa in 2009 and 2020 respectively, this will be the first time when both Hayden and Philander will be coaching an international team.

“Matthew Hayden is Australian, and has experience of winning World Cups and was a great player himself. It might be very beneficial to have an Australian occupying the dressing room.

Matthew Hayden and Vernon Philander will be Pakistan’s coaches at the World T20 Cup.

The fees of these coaches will borne by a private bank under strategic partnership with the PCB.

— Israr Ahmed Hashmi (@IamIsrarHashmi) September 13, 2021

“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,” Raja said.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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