Former NZ cricketer Mark Coles return as Pakistan women's team head coach

Mark Coles returned as head coach of the Pakistan women’s team, and will join the squad on their ongoing tour of Australia. The New Zealander succeeds interim head coach Saleem Jaffar, who was previously the team’s bowling coach, with fellow former Pakistan men’s international Taufeeq Umar as batting coach. “I have worked with Mark and he is a perfect coach for a women’s team - gentle but firm, friendly but strict,” PCB chairman Najam Sethi told ESPNcricinfo. “He is a well-respected coach and in his previous stint with Pakistan he worked incredibly hard for the team’s progress. Players only had good words to say about him, hence we have decided to bring him back and he will be joining the team in Australia with immediate effect.” The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been run by Sethi since the government ousted ex-chair Ramiz Raja and his board by revoking the PCB’s 2019 constitution and granting the Sethi-led 14-member committee full executive powers to work on reviving the 2014 constitution. Pakistan is currently in Australia for a three-match ODI series beginning January 16 as part of the 2022-25 Women’s Championship. It will be followed by three T20Is before the team travels to South Africa for the Women’s T20 World Cup, where Pakistan is in Group 2 alongside England, India, Ireland, and the West Indies. PCB have included experienced pacer Diana Baig in their 15-player squad for next month’s bilateral white-ball series against Australia and for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in South Africa from 10 February to 26 February. Bismah Maroof will continue to lead the Pakistan Women’s team in both assignments. The squads were finalised after deliberations by Asmavia, interim head coach Saleem Jaffer and captain Bismah. Pakistan ODI squad for Australia: Bismah Maroof (c), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Ghulam Fatima, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin and Sidra Nawaz (wk). Traveling Reserves: Aimen Anwar, Javeria Khan, and Tuba Hassan. Pakistan T20I squad for Australia and ICC Women’s T20 World Cup: Bismah Maroof (c), Aimen Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Javeria Khan, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wk) and Tuba Hassan. Travelling Reserves: Ghulam Fatima, Kainat Imtiaz and Sadaf Shamas. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.