Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal Assume Roles as Bowling Coaches for Pakistan

Former cricket luminaries, Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal, distinguished members of the triumphant 2009 T20 World Cup and 2012 Asia Cup squads, have been designated as mentors for the Pakistan Men’s Team. Umar Gul has assumed the mantle of Fast Bowling Coach, while Saeed Ajmal has taken charge as Spin Bowling Coach.

This denotes their initiation into the coaching realm, encompassing responsibilities for the imminent Test series against Australia (scheduled from December 14, 2023, to January 7, 2024) and the T20I series versus New Zealand (scheduled from January 12 to 21, 2024).

Umar Gul's antecedent coaching involvement encompasses his tenure as the bowling strategist for the Pakistan Men’s Team during the T20I series against Afghanistan and New Zealand. Moreover, he contributed as the bowling tactician for Quetta Gladiators in the preceding HBL PSL season and assumed the position of Afghanistan’s bowling mentor in the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2022. His international playing career, spanning from 2003 to 2016, witnessed his representation of Pakistan in 47 Tests, 130 ODIs, and 60 T20Is.

Saeed Ajmal, a former pinnacle-ranked ODI bowler, is now entrusted with the role of Spin Bowling Coach. Ajmal, who debuted internationally in 2008, flaunts a commendable track record with 35 Tests, 113 ODIs, and 64 T20Is, accumulating a formidable tally of 447 wickets. He also acquired coaching experience as the spin bowling mentor for the HBL PSL franchise Islamabad United.

Expressing his enthusiasm for the coaching position, Umar Gul remarked, “I am delighted to assume the mantle of the bowling coach for the Pakistan team and am honored to contribute to Pakistan cricket under the stewardship of Chairman PCB Management Committee Mr. Zaka Ashraf.

Leveraging my prior involvement with the men’s side, I aspire to impart my coaching acumen to enhance Pakistan’s bowling prowess.” Their appointments signify a valuable augmentation to the coaching cadre, and enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating the impact they will have on the squad’s performance.