Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has agreed to become temporary coach of the Afghanistan cricket team. The Pakistan legend will coach Afghanistan during their tour of Zimbabwe, where they are scheduled to play 5 ODIs and 2 T20s in October.
The Afghanistan cricket team has been gradually climbing the ranks; the team's performance in the ICC 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand made people sit up and take notice. The Afghan players won hearts with their performances as they were able to defeat Scotland as well. Inzamam feels it is going to be exciting to coach Afghanistan.
"I have accepted the role of Afghanistan team coach only for the tour of Zimbabwe," AFP quoted Inzamam as saying. "It will be exciting and I would love to put their enormous passion on the right track."
Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), which had roped in former Pakistan players such as Kabir Khan and Rashid Latif for the coaching role in the past, was eager to acquire Inzamam's services since the last two years.
"They offered me the role of head coach and had been after me for the last two years, and now they have asked me to help them for the Zimbabwe series, which I have agreed," said Inzamam.
Afghanistan have some raw talent in their team, but they need someone to help guide them in the right direction. It is at this juncture Inzamam-ul-Haq can play an important role in helping Afghanistan cricket. Inzamam-ul-Haq, who has enough experience in international cricket, wants to teach Afghan players about controlled aggression on the field.
"They are aggressive and passionate which could be both good and bad, if it is not controlled, so I will try to teach them that control and how to use their passion in the right manner," said Inzamam.
Though, Inzamam might have only signed for the Zimbabwe tour, ACB CEO, Shafiq Stanikzai, has not ruled out a contract extension.
"[Inzamam's tenure is] currently for the Zimbabwe tour and then we will be having a few meetings in Zimbabwe and after that we will be deciding, on mutual agreement, for the longer term," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Stanikzai as saying.
If the ACB is able to convince the former Pakistan skipper for a contract extension, Afghanistan cricket can expect to improve substantially and become a cricketing nation to reckon with.
