Afghanistan have re-appointed former Ireland all-rounder John Mooney as fielding coach and hired Nirmalan Thanabalasingam as team physiotherapist. Both specialists have already joined the squad’s training camp in Abu Dhabi, preparing for the T20I tri-series in the UAE that starts on 29 August and the men’s T20 Asia Cup from 9 September.
Mooney’s second stint
The 43-year-old worked with Afghanistan between 2018 and 2019, a period that included the side’s Test debut against India in Bengaluru. A statement from the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) described his return as “a timely boost to a key area of our game”. Catching and ground fielding have been inconsistent for Afghanistan over the past 12 months, and the board hopes Mooney’s familiarity with the players will bring quick improvement.
Playing pedigree and coaching path
A left-hand batter and brisk right-arm seamer, Mooney won 64 ODIs and 27 T20Is for Ireland from 2006 to 2015. He featured in three ODI World Cups (2007, 2011, 2015) and two T20 World Cups (2009, 2010), famously striking the winning runs in Ireland’s upset of England at the 2011 World Cup in Bengaluru. Since retiring in 2015 he has completed ECB Level 1, 2 and 3 coaching qualifications, worked briefly with West Indies men (2019) and served as interim fielding coach to Ireland Women earlier this year.
Thanabalasingam’s broad résumé
Sri Lankan-born Thanabalasingam has been lead physiotherapist with Desert Vipers in the ILT20 since 2020. His earlier roles include high-performance training and rehabilitation manager at Sri Lanka Cricket (2017-18) and short-term stints with Cricket New South Wales, Rangpur Riders, Montreal Tigers, the ICC World XI, Sydney Thunder and West Harbour Rugby.
Immediate priorities
Afghanistan’s camp in Abu Dhabi will run until departure for Dubai, where they open the tri-series against Pakistan. Captain Rashid Khan has repeatedly stressed the need for sharper fielding in pressure moments; bringing Mooney back is the clearest sign the ACB shares that view. Thanabalasingam’s appointment, meanwhile, gives the medical unit an experienced hand ahead of what could be a taxing run of T20 fixtures in hot conditions.
With two major events in a fortnight, Afghanistan have opted for familiarity and proven expertise. The next few weeks will reveal whether those choices turn recent fielding lapses into a strength.
