Pakistan Appoints Mike Smith as New Batting Coach

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed Mike Smith as the new batting coach of the national team in a bid to improve the side's struggling batting performances. The decision comes after Pakistan's repeated batting failures and frequent collapses across all three formats of the game in recent times.

Smith, a former South African first-class cricketer, will officially begin his role with Pakistan during the upcoming three-match Test series against England. The series is scheduled to begin on August 19, and it will mark his first assignment with the national team.

The PCB hopes that Smith's experience as a batting coach and his knowledge of modern cricket will help Pakistan build a stronger and more consistent batting unit. The board believes his appointment can play an important role in improving the team's performances in the coming months.

PCB conducted a detailed selection process

According to PTI, the PCB invited applications through public advertisements while searching for a long-term batting coach. Several candidates were interviewed and assessed before the board finalized Mike Smith for the role.

The selection process was carried out with the aim of finding a coach who could work with the team over a longer period and help solve Pakistan's batting problems.

Strong reputation in franchise cricket

Mike Smith is a Level-4 qualified coach and has built a strong reputation as a batting coach in franchise cricket. He has worked with several T20 league teams across different countries and also has coaching experience in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

His familiarity with Pakistan's domestic cricketers and understanding of local playing conditions were among the key reasons behind his appointment.

Smith replaces Asad Shafiq as Pakistan's new batting coach

Smith will take over from former Pakistan batter and current national selector Asad Shafiq, who had been serving as the team's interim batting coach. Shafiq is currently with the Pakistan squad on its tour of the West Indies.

The PCB has now decided to hand the batting coach's responsibilities to Smith on a long-term basis as the team prepares for important international assignments.

Pakistan aim to solve batting problems

Pakistan's batting has struggled for consistency in recent months across Tests, One-Day Internationals, and T20 Internationals. The top-order has often failed to convert promising starts into big scores, while the middle order has found it difficult to perform under pressure.

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