Pakistan named Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal as their new coaches for fast and spin bowling, respectively, as they continue restructuring their team setup after the disappointing outcome at the 2023 World Cup.

Following Pakistan’s inability to make the World Cup semi-finals, Babar Azam tendered his resignation, triggering a series of changes within Pakistan cricket. Shaheen Shah Afridi was appointed as the skipper for T20Is, while Shan Masood was named Test captain. Mohammad Hafeez, initially designated as the Pakistan team director, is set to assume coaching responsibilities for the team’s tours of Australia and New Zealand. Earlier, Wahab Riaz had been appointed as a selector.

Umar Gul, a former fast bowler who previously served as the bowling coach during Pakistan’s T20I series against Afghanistan and New Zealand, had also undertaken similar roles with Afghanistan and the Quetta Gladiators during the 2023 PSL.

His illustrious career from 2003 to 2016 saw him amass 163 Test wickets (with an average of 34.06), 130 ODI scalps (averaging 29.34), and 85 T20I wickets (with an average of 16.97).

Ajmal, a former world No.1 ODI bowler and a member of the 2009 T20 World Cup squad, previously coached Islamabad United in the PSL. Across a career spanning from 2008 to 2015, he played in 35 Tests, 113 ODIs, and 64 T20Is, capturing a combined total of 447 wickets across formats. He is among a handful of cricketers who picked up more than a hundred Test wickets despite debuting after 30.

Morne Morkel, who served as the bowling coach during the World Cup, resigned shortly after the conclusion of Pakistan’s campaign.

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