New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has appointed Saqlain Mushtaq, the renowned Pakistan spinner and former head coach of the men’s national team, to serve as the assistant coach for their forthcoming white-ball tour of Pakistan.
The Blackcaps’ upcoming white-ball tour of Pakistan, featuring a five-match ODI and T20I series scheduled from April 14 to May 7, will mark Saqlain Mushtaq’s first assignment as assistant coach.
Earlier, Saqlain Mushtaq has served as the national men’s team’s head coach for about a 16-month period before his contract ended in February 2023.
It is worth noting that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) did not extend Saqlain Mushtaq’s contract as they plan to hire a new coaching staff under the leadership of former head coach Mickey Arthur.
As a result, Najam Sethi, the Chairman of the PCB Management Committee, has been engaged in discussions with the coach based in South Africa, and the negotiations between the two parties are close to being concluded.
It is noteworthy that Mickey Arthur previously served as the coach of the national men’s cricket team from 2016 to 2019. Under his leadership, Pakistan emerged victorious in the Champions Trophy 2017, which was their last major ICC event, and also achieved the top ranking in the T20I format.
The South African coach was then removed from the position following Pakistan’s fifth-place finish in the Cricket World Cup 2019.
Stay tuned to Explore It Beyond for more updates on Pakistan Vs. New Zealand series 2023.
