LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed former South African cricketer Michael Smith as the batting coach of Pakistan’s men’s national cricket team on a two-year contract, the board announced on Tuesday.
The 46-year-old coach will work with the national side across both Test and white-ball cricket, with his first assignment being Pakistan’s upcoming three-match Test series against England, which begins on August 19.
Two-Year Contract
According to the PCB, Michael Smith has been entrusted with strengthening Pakistan’s batting department as the team prepares for an important international season.
The board expressed confidence that Smith’s extensive coaching background and experience in franchise and domestic cricket will benefit Pakistan’s batting lineup in both formats of the game.
Experienced Coach Joins Pakistan Setup
Smith enjoyed a decade-long domestic cricket career in South Africa between 2003 and 2013, representing several domestic teams.
During his playing career, the right-handed batter featured in:
- 89 First-Class matches
- 72 List A matches
- 16 Twenty20 matches
Across all three formats, he scored 7,029 runs, including nine centuries and 40 half-centuries, establishing himself as a consistent performer in South African domestic cricket.
Michael Smith holds a Level 4 coaching qualification and brings considerable experience from both international and franchise cricket.
He is already familiar with Pakistan’s cricket environment, having previously served as batting coach for several Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises, including:
- Islamabad United
- Karachi Kings
- Multan Sultans
In addition, Smith has worked with Australia’s Hobart Hurricanes and Cricket Tasmania as batting coach.
He has also served as a consultant for South African domestic teams KZN Inland and Eastern Province, further enhancing his coaching credentials.
Smith’s first assignment with Pakistan will be the three-match Test series against England later this month.
The schedule for the series is:
- First Test: Headingley, Leeds (August 19–23)
- Second Test: Lord’s, London (August 27–31)
- Third Test: Edgbaston, Birmingham (September 9–13)
The series forms an important part of Pakistan’s international calendar, with the team aiming to deliver strong performances in English conditions.
The appointment reflects the PCB’s efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s coaching setup and improve the team’s batting consistency, particularly in Test cricket.
With his experience in high-performance coaching and familiarity with Pakistani players through the PSL, Michael Smith is expected to play a key role in preparing the national team for upcoming international assignments and helping batters perform more consistently against top opposition.
