The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appoints former South Africa first-class cricketer and coach Michael Smith as the men’s team batting coach on a two-year contract. The PCB says Smith will work with Pakistan across both red-ball and white-ball cricket, taking charge of the batting unit ahead of upcoming international fixtures. He is expected to join the squad for Pakistan’s three-Test series against England, which begins on 19 August.
The PCB’s announcement highlights Smith’s playing and coaching background. It states he played from 2003 to 2013 across 89 first-class matches, 72 List-A matches and 16 T20 matches, scoring 7,029 runs in total, including nine centuries and 40 half-centuries. The PCB also notes Smith holds a Level 4 coaching qualification and has previously worked with multiple HBL Pakistan Super League franchises, including Islamabad United, Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans. It further cites coaching roles with the Hobart Hurricanes and Cricket Tasmania, as well as consultancy work with South African domestic teams.
Multiple outlets report the appointment comes as Pakistan’s batting performance has faced challenges in recent series, with the board expecting Smith to help provide greater stability.
