Afghanistan name Lance Klusener as their head coach

Afghanistan have roped in former South Africa allrounder Lance Klusener as their head coach. Phil Simmons’ stint as Afghanistan’s head coach had ended after the World Cup debacle where the Gulbadin Naib-side finished at the bottom. The team never looked like a close unit and was the only outfit which did not win a single game in the competition.

Soon after the World Cup, Afghanistan changed the captain and named their star man Rashid Khan as the leader across formats. And it did not take long for the highly-rated team to get back to winning ways. They registered a historic win over Bangladesh in a one-off Test before making it to the final of the T20I tri-series also featuring Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. The final, however, was washed out.

Afghanistan Cricket Board, meanwhile, had invited applications for the coach’s post after Simmons parted ways. They had received more than 50 applications before naming Lance Klusener as the new coach. The legendary cricketer is a Level 4 certified coach. His first assignment will be Afghanistan’s series against West Indies in November.

Lance Klusener excited

Speaking after the appointment, Klusener expressed his delight and excitement. One of the most fearless cricketers of his time, Klusener said that Afghanistan has the potential to become one of the best in the world. He further said that he will be looking to take Afghanistan cricket to the next level during his tenure.

“I am extremely excited and honoured to be given the opportunity to work with some of the best talent in world cricket,” Klusener said in a statement. “Everyone knows the fearless brand of cricket Afghanistan play. I am very confident that with some hard work we can become one of the best sides in the world. I am really looking forward to working with the Afghanistan team and helping them take their cricket to the next level.”

Klusener played 49 Tests and 171 ODIs for South Africa between 1996 and 2004. He scored 1906 runs and 80 wickets in Tests, as well as 3576 runs and 192 wickets in ODIs. After his playing career was over, he entered coaching. He started with his domestic side Dolphins in 2012, before serving as the batting coach for Zimbabwe in 2016. He also plied his trade for South Africa before serving as the bowling coach of Mumbai Indians.