Richard Pybus will become Afghanistan’s new head coach next month, stepping in for Jonathan Trott before the six-match white-ball series against Sri Lanka in the UAE.
The England-born coach, 61, has signed on across formats and is due to link up with the squad in early March. Afghanistan meet Sri Lanka in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi from 13-25 March, playing three ODIs followed by three T20Is.
Pybus arrives with a bulging and rather itinerant CV. Pakistan reached the 1999 World Cup final under him, he guided them again during the 2002-03 winter, spent a brief spell with Bangladesh in 2013 and later worked with West Indies as director of cricket, high-performance boss and, for a short stint in 2019, head coach. Domestic jobs with Middlesex, Border and the Titans sit in there too.
“Richard’s breadth of experience is something we feel can accelerate the progress of our national sides,” Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) chief executive Naseeb Khan said in a statement.
Trott stood down after three years in charge, his tenure ending with a group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup, where defeats to New Zealand and South Africa proved decisive. Pybus inherits a talented but occasionally inconsistent team, one still hunting a first global semi-final.
“It’s a privilege to work with such an exciting group,” Pybus noted in the same release. “Afghanistan’s rise has been remarkable; I’m keen to help the players take the next step.”
Analytically, his appointment makes sense. The side’s batting often stalls in the middle overs, particularly against high-pace attacks; Pybus has history in ironing out those issues with Pakistan’s late-1990s line-up. Just as relevant is his clear-cut approach to fielding standards, an area Afghanistan have flagged for improvement.
The transition is quick, almost abrupt, but not unprecedented in the modern schedule. A two-week camp is pencilled in for Dubai, giving Pybus a first close look at a core including Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai. Senior spinner Rashid Khan remains sidelined with a back problem; team physio Prasanth Panchada said the player is “progressing, though match fitness will be assessed nearer the time”.
Afghanistan fans will expect immediate evidence of change. Realistically, bedding in fresh methods takes longer, yet the Sri Lanka series offers a handy benchmark before a busier summer. If Pybus can nudge consistency out of raw promise, the timing of this move could look shrewd rather than rushed.
