The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced the appointment of former Indian fielding coach R Sridhar as their new assistant coach. The 54-year-old, who has extensive experience in coaching, will join the Afghanistan squad immediately, beginning with their upcoming Test match against New Zealand.
Sridhar’s appointment comes as Afghanistan prepares for a challenging schedule, including the one-off Test against the Black Caps in Noida, India, starting on September 9, followed by a three-match ODI series against South Africa in Sharjah from September 18. The ACB has expressed optimism about Sridhar’s contribution and hinted at the possibility of extending his contract based on his performance.
The appointment of R Sridhar is seen as a strategic move by Afghanistan, following the success of their bowling coach, Dwayne Bravo, who helped guide the team to their first-ever ICC tournament semifinals at the recently concluded 2024 T20 World Cup. Sridhar brings with him a wealth of experience, having served as India’s fielding coach under Ravi Shastri during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. His coaching credentials also include stints with the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and as an assistant coach at India’s National Cricket Academy (NCA) from 2008 to 2014.
“The Afghanistan Cricket Board wish Sridhar fills the role effectively” : ACB
R Sridhar’s coaching career is underpinned by a solid foundation in first-class cricket, where he played 35 matches for Hyderabad, taking 91 wickets. He also represented Hyderabad in 15 List A matches, contributing with both bat and ball.
The ACB’s official statement on Sridhar’s appointment read, “It is worth mentioning that the Afghanistan Cricket Board has appointed Sridhar as the assistant coach for the one-off Test against New Zealand and the 3-match ODI series against South Africa. The Afghanistan Cricket Board wish Sridhar fills the role effectively and hope to have a long term contract with him in the future.”
Sridhar will work under the guidance of head coach Jonathan Trott as Afghanistan gears up for these critical fixtures, with the aim of building on their recent successes and continuing their upward trajectory in international cricket.
