ACB CEO Dr. Hamid Shinwari introducing Afghanistan’s new batting coach Rashid Latif to the media ©ACB

Former captain of Pakistan Rashid Latif, 41, has gone to Afghanistan as a batting coach. In Kabul, announcing the appointment ACB CEO Dr. Hamid Shinwari said he was “delighted to welcome such a high-level coach. We hope that he will bring even more success to the team.”

Rashid Latif said “I am ready to serve Afghan players everywhere in the world, I came here with hopes to develop cricket.”

Primarily a wicket-keeper, Rashid had no doubt he could have an effect, not just with batting; “I will also teach the players fielding tactics and help with wicket-keeping.” Rashid Latif’s credentials as a cricketer notwithstanding, (37 Tests and 166 ODIs) his appointment was initially questioned by some of the cricket community in Afghanistan once his name was first mooted in April by former CEO Dr. Aimal Shinwari. Subsequently however, Afghanistan’s national coach Kabir Khan, primarily a bowler in his playing days, himself called for another coach to help the national team with their batting.

Asia’s newest ODI nation in 2009

Rashid Latif explained that “the weakness of Afghan batting is that players do not play regular matches. They have a lot of talent, if they play regularly they can challenge Bangladesh, Scotland very easily and they will be ready next year to play against Pakistan.....I know well most of them; they are endowed with outstanding skills and have the knack for upsetting even the superlative outfits. There is great potential in Afghanistan for cricket to become a major sport and I want to help them out. I think Afghani players have the talent and will to compete with other Asian nations.”


Rashid Latif will be at the national team training camp in Jalalabad until they all leave for Scotland for an ICC Intercontinental Cup match. After that, “I have more ideas for young and school cricketers’ development in Afghanistan,” says the man who has more than a thousand enrolled in his own academies in Karachi.

Related:
Afghanistan Cricket Profile

Filed July 28th, 2010