Pakistan appoint South African coach Michael Smith as new batting coach
Appointment aims to address recurring batting collapses, starting with England Test tour in August
Quick Look
- Pakistan Cricket Board is set to appoint South African former first‑class cricketer Michael Smith as its new full‑time batting coach, starting with the three‑Test England tour beginning August 19.
- The move follows recurring collapses, especially in Tests, and aims to improve performance under pressure.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Pakistan's Test batting has struggled, losing 13 of last 17 Tests and suffering collapses under pressure.
Pakistan are set to appoint South African first-class cricketer and coach Michael Smith as their new batting coach in a bid to address the team's recurring batting collapses under pressure. According to Cricinfo, the deal has reached its final stages, with Smith expected to begin his tenure during Pakistan's three-Test tour of England, which starts on August 19. A Level 4 qualified coach, Smith has previously worked in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), serving as batting coach of Islamabad United and assistant coach of Multan Sultans earlier this season. He is expected to oversee batting across both the red-ball and white-ball setups.
Pakistan look to fix long-standing batting woes
While the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is yet to make an official announcement, Cricinfo reports that an agreement has been reached. Pakistan's Test side currently has former pacer Umar Gul as bowling coach, but there has been no full-time batting coach for either format. National selector Asad Shafiq had occasionally fulfilled the role, but Smith is now expected to take charge permanently. The appointment comes at a crucial time, with Pakistan's batting repeatedly failing to deliver in pressure situations, particularly in Test cricket. Batting collapses continue to haunt Pakistan. Pakistan are currently touring the West Indies for a two-match Test series and are already trailing 0-1 after suffering a 90-run defeat in the opening Test. Despite being well placed at 244/3 in the first innings, they lost their final seven wickets for just 38 runs, before being bowled out for 120 while chasing 211 in the fourth innings.
The second Test is already underway, and at stumps on Day 2, Pakistan were 76 runs behind with eight wickets in hand, still battling to level the series. Pakistan's fragile batting has become a recurring concern in recent years. Their inability to capitalise on strong positions has contributed significantly to a poor run in the longest format, with the team losing 13 of their last 17 Tests.
Pakistan tour of England
The Pakistan men's cricket team is scheduled to tour England from August 19 to September 13, 2026, to play a three-match Test series. The matches form an integral part of the 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship. Pakistan is currently concluding a red-ball tour in the West Indies and will arrive in England later this month, armed with newly appointed long-term batting coach Michael Smith to fix recent batting form issues.