Muhammad Yousuf is expected to be interim head coach of national team

• PCB is expected to announce the interim head coach of the national men’s team.
• Pakistan will play T20I series against Afghanistan this month.
• The three T20 International matches against Pakistan were scheduled by ACB.

Muhammad Yousuf, a former Pakistan cricketer, is anticipated to be named as the interim head coach of the national men’s team for the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan, according to sources.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which was unable to reach an agreement with Mickey Arthur regarding the role of head coach, is likely to make the decision.

Ahead of the ACC Asia Cup, ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, and ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the Pakistan Cricket Board had previously announced that it had been in talks with former national team head coach Arthur.

A proposal to act as a consultant to the team on a time-sharing basis with Derbyshire has also been discussed by PCB due to Arthur’s lengthy contract with Derbyshire.

It should be noted that head coach Saqlain Mushtaq and bowling coach Shaun Tait’s contract expired in February 2023, making the New Zealand series their final assignment.

Previously, under the Ramiz Raja-led administration, Yousuf’s appointment—who had previously been the team’s batting coach—was decided on a series-by-series basis. He works as the batting coach at the National High Performance Center (NHPC) in Lahore on a full-time basis.

The three T20 International matches against Pakistan were scheduled by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) yesterday.

The two neighbouring nations will play each other in a three-match T20I series on March 25, 27, and 29 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, the ACB announced via Twitter.

Since Pakistan and Afghanistan have already qualified for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, the format was changed after a meeting between Sethi and ACB officials. This year, both teams were supposed to play a three-match ODI series instead of T20Is.

“I met with the executive members of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, and they were asking us to play a (ODI) series, but we didn’t find any attraction in playing the series,” Sethi said at a press conference in January.

“It’s primarily because the series was designed for [Super League] points, and now it doesn’t matter who wins. So, subject to government approval, we agreed to play three T20Is in Sharjah immediately following the PSL. We will split 50% of the series’ revenue equally. And we’ll outsource production together,” he added.

The Pakistan squad and support staff for the series against Afghanistan are expected to be announced in the coming days.

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