Michael Smith appointed Pakistan men’s team batting coach for two years

WEB DESK: South African coach Michael Smith has been appointed batting coach of the Pakistan men’s team for a two-year term, the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed.

Smith will work with both the red-ball and white-ball setups and is expected to join the squad in time for the upcoming Test series against England. Pakistan and England will play a three-match Test series starting August 19.

Umar Gul currently serves as the national Test team’s bowling coach, but the batting coach’s role had remained vacant on a permanent basis. Former Test cricketer Asad Shafiq had occasionally provided batting-related guidance in his capacity as a selector, but that responsibility now rests fully with Smith.

Pakistan’s batting line-up has come under intense criticism in recent months, with repeated collapses in Test cricket causing growing concern within the board. In the first Test against the West Indies, Pakistan lost their last seven wickets for just 38 runs after being well-placed at 244 for 3, and were later bowled out for only 120 while chasing a target of 211.

The numbers reflect the scale of the problem. Since the start of 2025, Pakistan’s bottom four batters have averaged just 9.91 runs per wicket, the lowest such average among all Test-playing nations during this period. Pakistan’s bowlers have also struggled to dismiss opposing lower-order batters quickly, compounding the team’s difficulties in the longer format.

Fans are hoping Smith’s appointment will bring stability to the batting order and help the team address its recent shortcomings. Pakistan, who are currently playing a Test series against the West Indies, are at ninth place in the ICC World Test Championship standings.

About Michael Smith

Smith scored 7,029 runs across First-Class, List A and T20 cricket for South Africa, including 9 centuries and 40 half-centuries over the course of his career.

He has previously been part of the coaching staff at three HBL PSL franchises including Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans, and has also served as batting coach for the Hobart Hurricanes and Cricket Tasmania.