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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced changes to 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 bowling coach, and his experience as a Test cricketer is expected to strengthen the squad.
Abdur Rehman has joined the Pakistan national team in Multan as bowling coach. Their first assignment will be the two-match home Test series against the West Indies, to be played from January 17-29 in Multan. The team, led by Shan Masood, will play their last series of the 2023-25 ICC WTC cycle.
Abdur Rehman appointed as Pakistan’s spin bowling coach – Report
Abdur Rehman will focus on improving the performance of key spinners Noman Ali, Sajid Khan and Abrar Ahmed during the upcoming Test series against the 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 2011-12, which contributed to Pakistan’s clean sweep of 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, took 140 wickets across formats in his international career. The selectors moved on from him in late 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, and South Africa replied with 301 runs. Pakistan set a target of 148 for the last innings. They produced 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 their first innings, while Pakistan were dismissed for 194. Pakistan were forced to follow on, and they struggled with 478 runs in their second innings. South Africa comfortably chased down the target of 58 runs to win by 10 wickets.
Team management plans to create spin-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 has introduced the ‘greenhouse concept’, which involves covering the ground and installing heaters on either side of the decks to retain heat and prevent moisture.
Hemming’s new ground preparation method is designed to keep the ground dry and firm, ensuring consistent conditions that favor spinners by preventing moisture loss. Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan played crucial roles with the ball in the last series at home, where Pakistan cruised to a 2-1 victory after losing the first Test.
Schedule of the two-match Test series:
| game | date | place |
|---|---|---|
| first test | January 17-21 | Multan Cricket Stadium |
| second test | January 25-29 | Multan Cricket Stadium |
