The Pakistan Cricket Board has appointed former South Africa first-class cricketer Michael Smith as the Pakistan batting coach, handing him a two-year deal just weeks before the national team’s high-profile Test tour of England. The South Africa batting coach name attached to this appointment has been circulating in cricket circles for days, and the PCB made it official on Tuesday.

Background

Pakistan’s batting unit has struggled with consistency across formats in recent months, with frequent collapses undermining otherwise strong bowling and fielding performances. The PCB responded by advertising publicly for a specialist, long-term batting coach rather than continuing with an interim arrangement.

Asad Shafiq, a former Pakistan Test batter, had been serving as interim batting coach since April 2026, having taken charge for the Bangladesh Test series. Shafiq also held roles as a national selector and head of the PCB’s Karachi academy, a workload that reportedly diluted his focus on the batting-specific mandate.

Michael Smith emerged as the board’s preferred candidate after applying through the PCB’s public advertisement process. According to reports, the board had struggled to attract a large pool of foreign applicants, since coaching roles with the Pakistan team have historically seen frequent turnover, discouraging some overseas candidates from applying.

Details

The PCB confirmed the appointment in a press release, stating that the 46-year-old will work with the team across both red-ball and white-ball formats. Smith played 89 first-class matches, 72 List-A matches, and 16 T20 matches between 2003 and 2013, scoring 7,029 runs across the three formats with nine centuries and 40 half-centuries as a right-handed batter.

Smith holds a Level 4 coaching qualification, the highest tier in the sport’s coaching pathway, and brings extensive franchise experience relevant to Pakistan’s setup. He has served on the coaching staff of three HBL Pakistan Super League franchises: Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, and, most recently, as assistant coach at Multan Sultans. That PSL background gives him prior working knowledge of several players already in Pakistan’s Test squad.

Beyond the PSL, Smith has worked as batting coach with Australia’s Hobart Hurricanes and Cricket Tasmania, and served as a coaching consultant for South Africa’s KZN Inland and Eastern Province franchises. He will join the Pakistan squad ahead of the three-match Test series against England, which begins August 19 at Headingley.

Smith’s appointment comes alongside other recent changes to Pakistan’s coaching setup. Mike Hesson continues as white-ball head coach, a role he has held since May 2025, while Azhar Mahmood serves as red-ball head coach. Pakistan also brought in Mansoor Amjad as fielding coach in July, replacing Australian coach Shane McDermott ahead of the team’s tour of the West Indies.

Quotes

The PCB’s press release framed Smith’s appointment around strengthening the team’s batting core, noting that his combination of domestic, franchise, and international coaching experience was central to the board’s decision.

Sources close to the appointment process told reporters that Smith’s PSL experience with Multan Sultans and other franchises gave him prior exposure to the conditions and personalities within Pakistan’s batting group, and that this reportedly weighed heavily in the board’s decision.

Pakistan white-ball coach Mike Hesson has previously spoken about the team’s broader development needs, noting after a series win over Sri Lanka earlier this year that fielding remained an area of concern for the squad, a comment that reflects the wider effort by Pakistan’s coaching staff to address specific technical gaps across departments.

Impact

For Pakistan, Smith’s arrival ahead of a demanding tour of England carries real stakes. The three-Test series, running across three venues over three weeks starting August 19, will be an early test of whether a dedicated batting specialist can help stabilize a top and middle order that has struggled for consistency in recent series.

The appointment also reflects a broader trend in Pakistan cricket toward bringing in specialist foreign coaches across different disciplines, rather than relying on a single head coach to oversee all aspects of team preparation. With Hesson leading white-ball cricket, Mahmood overseeing red-ball cricket, Amjad handling fielding, and now Smith focused solely on batting, Pakistan’s setup increasingly mirrors coaching structures used by more established cricketing nations.

Regionally, the move is also being watched closely given Pakistan’s participation in the 2027 ODI World Cup cycle, with selectors and team management under pressure to build a settled, in-form batting lineup well before that tournament arrives.

Conclusion

With Smith’s two-year contract now confirmed, Pakistan’s coaching staff heads into the England series with its clearest specialist structure in recent memory. Whether the appointment translates into improved batting performances will become evident quickly, with the first Test at Headingley starting August 19 offering the first real assessment of Smith’s impact.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the fielding coach?

Pakistan’s current fielding coach is Mansoor Amjad, a former Pakistan cricketer who was appointed to the role in July 2026 following the resignation of Australian coach Shane McDermott. Amjad previously gained coaching experience with Pakistan’s U19 and Shaheens sides and was part of Pakistan’s title-winning squad at the 2004 U19 World Cup. He stepped into the fielding coach role just as Pakistan’s Test team departed for its tour of the West Indies, taking charge of a squad looking to sharpen its fielding standards after periods of inconsistency in that department.

Who is Mike Hesson coaching?

Mike Hesson is currently the white-ball head coach of the Pakistan men’s cricket team, a position he has held since May 2025 after previously coaching the Islamabad United franchise in the Pakistan Super League to the 2024 title. The former New Zealand national team coach guided the Black Caps to the final of the 2015 World Cup during his six years in that role. Since taking charge of Pakistan’s limited-overs setup, Hesson has focused on building a more flexible, multi-skilled batting group, though his tenure has faced scrutiny following Pakistan’s early exit from the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Who is the batting coach of Pakistan?

The current Pakistan batting coach is Michael Smith, a former South African first-class cricketer appointed by the PCB on a two-year contract in August 2026. Smith replaces Asad Shafiq, who had served as interim batting coach since April 2026 before returning to focus solely on his role as a national selector. Smith’s appointment was specifically designed to give Pakistan’s batting unit sustained, specialist attention ahead of a demanding international schedule, starting with the three-match Test series against England beginning August 19 at Headingley.