Former Australia batsman Dean Jones gets appointed as the interim head coach by Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) for Afghanistan’s Intercontinental Cup fixture in Hong Kong. The team has been without a head coach since August after the ACB surprisingly decided against renewing Lalchand Rajput’s contract.
During Rajput’s one-year stint, Afghanistan secured Full Membership at the ICC in addition to winning six out of 10 limited-overs series including an ODI win against Windies which was their first win in the 50-over format over a Full Member other than Zimbabwe or Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Jones, who is currently in India as a commentator, recently covered the Shpageeza Cricket League, Afghanistan’s premier T20 competition, in Kabul as a commentator. The 56-year old became a popular figure among the fans after staying in the country even after a bomb blast.
@ACBofficials I am pleased to announce that I will be Afghanistan interim Head Coach for their Tour to Hong Kong #shouldbefun
— Dean Jones AM (@ProfDeano) October 9, 2017
“Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones has appointed as interim head coach of the Afghanistan National Cricket Team for the upcoming tour of Hong Kong for the Intercontinental Cup fixture,” the ACB announced in a statement. “Both sides will consider a long-term coaching agreement after the tour of Hong Kong.”
While the Afghanistan cricket team has shown remarkable consistency on the cricket field, the same cannot be said about the coaching department. Jones is the third head coach appointed by ACB since October 2015. Back then, former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq replaced Rashid Latif as the coach before Pakistan roped him in as the chairman of PCB’s selection panel. Rajput replaced Inzamam in June 2016.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan, who are currently unbeaten in the ICC Intercontinental Cup, will play a first-class game on October 20 in Hong Kong. With 81 points in the kitty, Afghanistan is currently occupying the second place, trailing table-toppers Ireland by eight points.