Highlights
- Matthew Hayden appointed to Pakistan coaching staff for the T20 World Cup.
- The former Australian cricketer retired in 2012 and was inducted in the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 2017.
- Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ramiz Raja announced it as positive to have an Australian occupying the Pakistan dressing room.
Hayden and Philander have been announced as batting and bowling coaching consultants, respectively, for the tournament which begins in October. The PCB chairman also indicated that a head coach will be appointed in the near future.
The 49-year-old Hayden, an aggressive opening left-hand batsman, had an international cricketing career of fifteen years. Across 103 test matches and 161 one-day internationals, he earned a reputation as one of the most powerful hitters in Australian cricket history.
Hayden played at the first T20 World Cup in 2007. He also featured in the first editions of the Indian Premier League from 2008 to 2010 and Big Bash League from 2011 to 2012, prior to retiring from all forms of cricket in 2012.
PCB Chairman Raja told the press that Hayden was a world-class player who can bring aggression to the game.
"It might be positive to have an Australian occupying the dressing room. The aim is to help our team in every possible way," Raja said.
PCB's official Twitter handle tweeted that both Hayden and Philander have been appointed as consultant coaches for the T20 World Cup 2021.
Raja told the press that the Pakistan cricket team needs to improve by 10 per cent to win the World Cup, and the new coaches have the potential to make this happen.
While Hayden has engaged with the media as a commentator before, this is his first major coaching assignment.
Like Hayden, South African Philander has had a remarkable cricket career, but this is his first time coaching after only retiring in 2020.
The appointments come as both Misbah ul Haq and Waqar Younis stepped down from their coaching roles just weeks before the T20 World Cup, which takes place in the United Arab Emirates starting on 17 October.
Newly elected Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ramiz Raja at his first press briefing in Lahore, Pakistan. Source: Twitter PCB Media
Saqlain Mushtaq and Abdul Razzaq are currently serving as interim coaches for the Pakistan team during the home series with New Zealand.
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