The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed former all-rounder Yasir Arafat as the national team’s ‘high performance coach’ for the five-match T20 series against New Zealand next month. Yasir will arrive in Lahore from London and will leave for New Zealand along with Pakistan’s limited-overs squad for a five-match series from January 12.
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Pakistan selectors have announced their 17-member squad for the T20 series in New Zealand. The series is being seen as a preparation for the ICC World Cup to be held in West Indies and America next year. According to PCB sources, Yasir will replace Simon Helmut, who is the Pakistan team’s high performance coach for the ongoing Test series in Australia.
Earlier, the caretaker government of Pakistan has taken a big decision regarding the activities of PCB on Sunday. The government stopped the sale of media rights for international matches and the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Cricket Management Committee (CMC) chief Zaka Ashraf has subsequently postponed his trip to Australia and sought time to meet Prime Minister Anwarul-ul-Haq Kakkar, who is also the board’s chief patron. The government’s directive comes at a time when the CMC, which manages PCB’s affairs, has started the process of inviting bids for the sale of PSL and international cricket media rights.