Adam Hollioake Named Batting Coach for Pakistan's Test Tour of Australia by PCB

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has enlisted the services of Adam Hollioake as the batting coach for the upcoming three men’s Tests against Australia, slated to commence next month. Hollioake, an experienced figure with four Tests and 35 one-day internationals for England, is part of the revamped support staff for Pakistan’s men’s cricket team.

The restructuring within the Pakistan cricket team unfolded after the Cricket World Cup, leading to the demotion of head coach Grant Bradburn and team director Mickey Arthur. The reins have now been handed over to Naveed Akram Cheema and Mohammad Hafeez, who assume the roles of the new team director and head coach, respectively.

In the absence of Morne Morkel, the bowling department will be led by Umar Gul for fast bowling and Saeed Ajmal for spin. The coaching lineup also includes Australian Simon Helmot as the high-performance coach, Abdul Majeed overseeing fielding, and Mansoor Rana in the role of assistant team manager. Drikus Saaiman, the head of strength and conditioning, and physiotherapist Cliffe Deacon are among the few retaining their positions from the World Cup in India.

Adam Hollioake Joins as Batting Coach for Pakistan’s Test Tour of Australia amid Team Restructuring

Adam Hollioake, with previous coaching stints including collaborations with Hong Kong, Boost Defenders, and England Lions, was initially slated to join the England men’s team during the last Ashes series in Australia. However, his participation was hindered by a close contact testing positive for Covid-19.

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In the midst of these significant changes, Babar Azam stepped down as captain across formats. Shan Masood has taken the helm for the squad in Australia, while Shaheen Shah Afridi assumes the role of T20 skipper. These adjustments are specific to the Test tour and are expected to extend to the New Zealand T20Is. However, the decisions made by the interim PCB management committee may undergo reversal post the scheduled elections in February.

Australia kicks off their home summer with three Tests against Pakistan in Perth (December 14-18), followed by matches in Melbourne (December 26-30) and Sydney (January 3-7), aiming to maintain momentum in the series.