Hayden, Philander appointed as Pakistan coaches for T20 World Cup

Former Australian batsman Matthew Hayden and ex-South Africa pacer Vernon Philander have been appointed batting and bowling coaching consultants for Pakistan men’s national cricket team for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The announcement was made by the newly-appointed chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja in a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

“PCB will also name one local, who will be part of the coaching staff for the mega event in UAE,” Ramiz added.

“I think Pakistan team needs a new direction. These coaches [Hayden and Philander] are appointed till the [T20] World Cup,” said Raja. “Going forward, we will have to carry out an extensive exercise, in this regard, in order to look for people who fit our model,” he maintained.

Remember, Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis resigned last week from their respective positions. Saqlain Mushtaq and Abdul Razzaq were named as interim coaches for the New Zealand series.

Hayden is considered one of the greatest openers of all time. He played 273 games for the Kangaroos, scoring 15066 runs from 1994-2009. Meanwhile, Philander played 101 games for Proteas, bagging 269 wickets from 2007-2020.