Afghanistan Appoints R Sridhar as Assistant Coach for New Zealand and South Africa Series

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has appointed former India fielding coach R Sridhar as their assistant coach for the upcoming series against New Zealand and South Africa. Afghanistan is set to face New Zealand in a one-off Test in Greater Noida, beginning on September 9, followed by a three-match T20I series against South Africa in Sharjah from September 18 to 22.

Sridhar, who served as India’s fielding coach from 2014 to 2021, has a wealth of experience, having been part of the coaching team during two ODI and T20 World Cups. He also played a key role with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) from 2014 to 2017, including their appearance in the 2014 IPL final.

A Level-3 certified coach, Sridhar’s coaching journey began with the Hyderabad Under-19 and Under-16 teams. He joined the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru in 2011 and was soon appointed as the fielding coach for India’s Under-19 team.

Sridhar’s cricketing career in the 1990s saw him play 35 first-class and 15 List-A matches, where he picked up 105 wickets with his left-arm spin, including two five-wicket hauls. He was also a capable batter, with averages of 16.40 in first-class cricket and 17.25 in List-A matches.

In 2021, Sridhar was succeeded by T Dilip as India’s fielding coach when Rahul Dravid took over as head coach. Most recently, Sridhar led the California Knights to a third-place finish in the US Masters T10 League.

Afghanistan Prepares for Historic Test Against New Zealand

Afghanistan’s upcoming Test match against New Zealand will mark their first encounter in the format against the Kiwis. To date, Afghanistan has played nine Tests, winning three and losing six, with their last three losses coming against Ireland, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.

Afghanistan recently defeated New Zealand in the T20 World Cup held in the West Indies and the USA, a victory that contributed to the Black Caps’ early exit from the tournament. Afghanistan made history by reaching their first-ever ICC event semi-final but were defeated by South Africa.

The Afghan team will be eager to bounce back and seek revenge in the T20I series against the Proteas, which follows their historic Test against New Zealand.