Shaun Tait appointed Afghanistan bowling coach

KABUL (Pajhwok): Former Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait has been appointed Afghanistan’s bowling coach with immediate effect for a period of five months, a media report said on Monday.

Tait’s first assignment will be a three-match ODI series against Pakistan, set to be played between September 1 to 5 in Sri Lanka.

That will be followed by the T20 World Cup in the UAE, for which Afghanistan are in Group 2 along with India, Pakistan, New Zealand and two qualifying teams. Afghanistan are also set to play a one-off Test in Australia, starting November 27 in Hobart.

“There have been talks for a few months now about me possibly taking up the role,” Tait told ESPNcricinfo. “It eventuated because head coach Lance Klusener wanted someone else to oversee the bowling side specifically.”

Tait, who lives in London with his family now, won’t be moving to Kabul but will travel. “I will be travelling wherever the team goes basically,” he said. “And obviously the big one is the T20 World Cup and I am looking forward to being a big part of that.”

Tait, 38, is a level-two certified coach from Cricket Australia and has worked as a bowling coach with Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League and Bangla Tigers in the Abu Dhabi T10 league.

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