The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has 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 as the spin bowling coach, and his experience as a Test cricketer is expected to strengthen the team.
Abdur Rehman joined the Pakistan team in Multan as the bowlers coach. His first assignment will be the two-match home Test series against the West Indies, which will be played from January 17 to 29 in Multan. The team, led by Shan Masood, will play their final 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 get his first experience coaching the Pakistan men’s cricket team. Rehman had a successful partnership with Saeed Ajmal in 2011-2012, which helped Pakistan beat 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, has taken 140 wickets across formats in his international career. He was overtaken by selectors in late 2014 and 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 first series and South Africa replied with 301 runs. Pakistan set a target of 148 for the last innings. They had some strong bowling which reduced South Africa to 99/8 but the hosts won by two wickets.
In the second Test, South Africa dominated scoring 615 runs in their first innings while Pakistan were bowled out for 194. Pakistan were forced to continue and responded with 478 runs in the second innings. South Africa successfully chased down the target of 58 runs to win by 10 wickets.
The team management plans to create suitable pitches against 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 presented the “greenhouse concept”, which involves covering the ground and installing heaters on both sides of the cover to retain heat and prevent moisture.
Hemming’s new pitch preparation method is designed to keep the pitch dry and firm, ensuring consistent conditions that favor spinners by preventing moisture loss. Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan played a key role with the ball in the last home series, where Pakistan secured a 2-1 win after losing the first Test.
Schedule of two-match test series:
| Matching | Date | Place of action |
|---|---|---|
| The first test | January 17-21 | Multan Cricket Stadium |
| Second test | January 25-29 | Multan Cricket Stadium |
