Matthew Hayden, Vernon Philander to coach for Pakistan for T20 World Cup

Lahore - Raja, who played more than 250 international matches for Pakistan from 1984 to 1997, replaces Ehsan Mani who stepped down from his role last month

Former Australia batsman Matthew Hayden and former South Africa seamer Vernon Philander have joined Pakistan’s coaching staff ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in the UAE.

The newly-elected PCB chairman Ramiz Raja on Monday announced that the duo has been appointed as Pakistan’s men’s cricket team coaches. Ramiz cited the aggression and quality of the players as defining reasons for their hiring.

“Matthew Hayden is Australian, and has experience of winning World Cups and was a great player himself,” Ramiz said, as per espncricinfo.com. “It might be very beneficial to have an Australian occupying the dressing room. And Pakistan, of course, can win the World Cup, they just need to improve their performances an extra 10 per cent. Vernon Philander I know very well, and he understands bowling, and has a great record against Australia.”

It was not immediately clear what specific roles the two former cricketers would play in the Pakistan team. Ramiz did also confirm that there would be a head coach appointed alongside them, but did not yet reveal the identity.

Earlier, former Pakistan skipper and 1992 World Cup-winning player Ramiz Raja was elected unanimously and unopposed as the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) 36th Chairman for a three-year term. Ramiz Raja was elected in a Special Meeting presided over by the PCB election commissioner, Justice (retd) Sheikh Azmat Saeed.

Ramiz Raja, along with Asad Ali Khan, was nominated by the PCB Patron, Prime Minister Imran Khan, on the PCB Board of Governors on August 27 for a three-year term, where they joined Aasim Wajid Jawad, Alia Zafar, Arif Saeed, Javed Kurieshi (all independent members) and Wasim Khan (PCB Chief Executive).