Pakistan Turn to Smith to Fix Batting Woes Ahead of England Challenge

Pakistan have moved to address one of their most persistent vulnerabilities, appointing former South African cricketer Michael Smith as the men’s batting coach on a two-year contract, the PCB confirmed on Tuesday.

The 46-year-old will take charge of both the red-ball and white-ball sides, filling a specialist role that has been vacant for months. His appointment comes with immediate effect; Smith will join the squad ahead of the three-Test series against England, which begins on August 19 in Leeds.

The decision follows renewed scrutiny of Pakistan’s batting frailties, laid bare during their first-Test defeat to West Indies in Tarouba last week, where a second-innings collapse of 53 for 6 proved decisive. While Umar Gul has served as the designated bowling coach for the Test side, Pakistan have operated without a full-time batting coach across formats. National selector Asad Shafiq had occasionally assisted in that capacity on an informal basis.

Though Smith never represented South Africa at international level, his coaching credentials are substantial. A Level 4 qualified coach, he has built a strong reputation on the franchise circuit and possesses intimate knowledge of Pakistan cricket, having worked with Islamabad United, Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League. He has also served as batting coach with Australia’s Hobart Hurricanes and Cricket Tasmania, alongside consultancy roles with South Africa’s KZN Inland and Eastern Province.

As a player, Smith featured in 89 first-class matches, 72 List A games and 16 T20s between 2003 and 2013, amassing 7,029 runs across formats with nine centuries and 40 half-centuries.

Smith’s first assignment could hardly be more demanding. Pakistan’s batting unit has struggled for consistency across formats in recent years, and the England tour offers an immediate test of his methods. The three-Test series presents an opportunity to arrest a deeply concerning trend: Pakistan have lost eight consecutive away Tests, a run that stretches back to the 2023-24 tour of Australia.

The batting coach will be expected to work closely with a squad that has shown flashes of brilliance, including Shan Masood’s century in Tarouba, but has repeatedly failed to produce the sustained partnerships required to win overseas. With Masood himself a doubtful starter for the Leeds Test due to a fractured finger, Smith’s influence on the dressing room may be required sooner than anticipated.

                                               

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