Umar Gul to continue as interim bowling coach for Pakistan’s home series against New Zealand
Former Pakistani cricketer Umar Gul will continue to serve as the national squad’s interim bowling coach for the upcoming home series against New Zealand, alongside head coach Abdur Rehman, according to The News.
The two coaches will be with the squad from the start of the national camp on April 7 until the end of the series against New Zealand. Both Gul and Rehman were part of the Pakistan coaching staff for the recent away series against Afghanistan. Meanwhile, former South Africa women’s team coach Andrew Puttick is expected to join the team as batting coach, replacing Mohammad Yousuf.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been working to restructure the coaching staff of the national team for some time now, in a bid to improve the team’s performance. One of the key decisions made in this regard was to bring in interim coaches, with the intention of giving them a trial run to see how they performed.
Umar Gul, who is a former Pakistani cricketer and a highly respected figure in the cricketing community, was appointed as the national squad’s interim bowling coach earlier this year. Since then, he has been working with the team to help improve their bowling performance and bring in some much-needed discipline and focus.
Abdur Rehman, meanwhile, was appointed as the interim head coach of the national squad in February 2022, following the resignation of former coach Misbah-ul-Haq. Rehman is a former Pakistani cricketer who played as a left-arm spinner for the national team, and has been working with the Pakistan Cricket Board as a spin bowling coach for several years.
The decision to retain both Gul and Rehman for the upcoming home series against New Zealand suggests that the PCB has been impressed with their performance so far. It is hoped that the two coaches will be able to help the national team improve their performance and secure a series win against the Kiwis.
In addition to Gul and Rehman, the national team is also expected to bring in former South Africa women’s team coach Andrew Puttick as the batting coach. Puttick, who played just five deliveries in Test cricket, is considered to be an excellent coach with a deep understanding of the game. He is expected to bring a fresh perspective to the national team’s batting lineup, and help them improve their performance in this crucial area.
However, it is worth noting that the decision to replace Mohammad Yousuf with Puttick has not been without controversy. Yousuf is widely regarded as one of the best batting coaches in Pakistan, and his departure from the national team has been met with some criticism.
Despite this, the PCB seems to be confident that Puttick will be able to help the national team improve their performance. It is hoped that his arrival will help the team develop a more consistent and effective batting lineup, and improve their chances of winning matches.
In addition to the coaching staff changes, the PCB is also expected to sign a four-year contract with current coaching consultant Mickey Arthur and his coaching panel. This move is seen as a key step in the PCB’s efforts to build a strong, consistent coaching team for the national squad.
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Arthur is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in world cricket, and his experience and expertise are expected to be invaluable in helping the national team improve their performance. It is hoped that with Arthur at the helm, the national team will be able to build a more consistent and effective team, and improve their chances of winning matches at the international level.
Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision to retain Umar Gul and Abdur Rehman as interim coaches for the upcoming home series against New Zealand, along with the appointment of Andrew Puttick as batting coach, is a key step in the board’s efforts to build a strong and consistent coaching team
