Picture Credit: ICC
Former Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait has been named the Afghanistan cricket team's bowling coach with immediate effect. The development was confirmed on Monday when the official social media handle of the Afghanistan Cricket Board shared the news. Tait, one of the fastest bowlers in world cricket during his prime, happens to be a Level-two certified coach from Cricket Australia and has coached various franchises including Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League.
Tait was part of the Australian squad that won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, taking a total of 23 wickets in the tournament. Three years later, Tait was also part of the Australian T20 squad which finished as runners-up in the Men's T20 World Cup 2010. Overall, Tait featured in 35 ODIs, 21 T20Is and three Test matches for the Kangaroos taking 62, 28 and five wickets in each format respectively.
"Too much interruption" and interference from "non-cricketers" in the board, alleges Asadullah Khan
Earlier, Afghanistan selector Asadullah Khan had resigned from his position as the head of the selection committee, alleging that the squad for the ODI series against Pakistan was finalised without taking his consent.
A report carried by ESPNCricinfo claims that Khan in his letter to the board cited reasons such as "too much interruption" and interference from "non-cricketers" in the board who have "no knowledge about the players and selection" as the primary reason why he was quitting the job.
Khan had been appointed as the chief selector in March 2021 and had got the job after he cleared an elaborate process through which all candidates who had applied were put through. He made the cut due to his experience in the Afghanistan domestic set-up. Other than being a former cricketer, he had also worked as a coach and a video analyst. Moreover, he had served as the ACB's acting chief executive for a brief period in 2019.
While the ACB had revamped the entire selection plan earlier this year, as they wiped off the old system of a selection committee and formed a selection department instead with Khan leading this new arrangement. He was also set to be assisted by advisors and data analysts but in his letter, Khan has said that no-one was recruited and the revamp happened only on papers.