T20 World Cup 2021: PCB appoints Matthew Hayden & Vernon Philander as coaches for the marquee event

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed former Australian opener Matthew Hayden and veteran Proteas pacer Vernon Philander as coaches of the national men's team for the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup.

The decision was announced by newly appointed chairman Ramiz Raja during a live media interaction at the National High-Performance Center in Lahore on Monday (September 13).

Speaking on Hayden's appointment, Raja reckoned:

“The Australian can bring some aggression into the team. He has experience of winning World Cups and was a world-class player himself. Having an Australian in the dressing room will be of great benefit for us.”

Matthew Hayden retired from international cricket in January 2009 after a dominant career and has been a regular in the broadcasting arena ever since.

While the Australian doesn't bring much coaching experience to the table, he certainly knows a thing or two about winning world titles and his presence will benefit Pakistan in crunch situations during the marquee event.

Newly elected PCB Chairman Mr Ramiz Raja, press conference at NHPC, Lahore https://t.co/RkZTK3XmBp

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 13, 2021

On the appointment of Philander, Raza reasoned that the former South African seamer is well versed in the nuances of bowling and his past experience of performing against top sides at the highest level will benefit young Pakistani pacers.

"I know Vernon, and he has some phenomenal performances against leading teams, including Australia. I hope the two will help Pakistan cricket in performing at their best during the T20 World Cup," said Raja, PCB chairman.

He added:

“I think Pakistan team needs a new direction. These coaches [Hayden and Philander] are appointed till the [T20] World Cup,” said Raja. “Going forward, we will have to carry out an extensive exercise, in this regard, in order to look for people who fit our model.”

“Our objective is to give this team the best possible options, so that it leads to improvement in performance,” concluded the new PCB boss.

Ramiz Raja officially took over from Ehsan Mani as PCB's 30th chairman on Monday. He is the third international cricketer to hold the post.

Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis recently quit from their respective PCB posts

Pakistan Nets Session

Click here for the T20 World Cup fixtures to downalad as pdf.

Matthew Hayden and Vernon Philander's appointment comes a few days after Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis stepped down from their respective posts, hours after the T20 World Cup was announced.

The duo were appointed in September 2019 and still had a year each left on their PCB contracts.

Misbah cited the reluctance to stay away from his family during long tours and in strict bio-bubbles as his motivation to step down. Waqar, on the other hand, decided to follow the head coach.

Misbah's statement, as quoted by the PCB, read:

"Considering that I would have had to continue to spend considerable time away from my family in a bio-secure environment, I have decided to step down from the role."

Waqar Younis said:

"After Misbah shared with me his decision and future plans, it was a straightforward one for me to resign as we had walked into the roles together, had worked as a pair and now also step down together."

Following the resignation of Misbah and Waqar, PCB had appointed Saqlain Mushtaq and Abdul Razzaq as interim coaches for the upcoming ODI and T20I series against New Zealand.

Pakistan ODI squad had an intra-squad match and training session ahead of the #PAKvNZ three-match ODI series at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi.#HarHaalMainCricket pic.twitter.com/sA5B7jtG5g

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 12, 2021