The Kabul Tribune (KT) — The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has appointed Richard Pybus as head coach of the Afghanistan national cricket team, the board announced.
Pybus will join the national side, known as AfghanAtalan,
ahead of the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka in March.
ACB described Pybus as an internationally respected cricket
leader and performance director with extensive coaching experience. He
previously served as head coach and director of cricket for the West Indies
cricket team from 2013 to 2019, where he oversaw the development of a
high-performance structure. In 2016, the West Indies men’s, women’s and
under-19 teams all won ICC World Cup titles in the same calendar year.
Pybus also served as head coach of the Pakistan national
cricket team, guiding the side to the final of the 1999 ICC Cricket World Cup,
where they finished runners-up to Australia. He has held senior roles with
Bangladesh cricket and coached extensively in South Africa’s domestic and
franchise circuits, winning nine championship titles. He was twice named South
African Cricket Coach of the Year.
He has worked with prominent players including Mohammad
Rizwan, Faf du Plessis and Dale Steyn.
Beyond coaching, Pybus holds a Doctorate in Professional
Practice from Middlesex University in London, awarded in 2022 for research on
performance systems. He also holds postgraduate qualifications from University
of Greenwich and a BA (Hons) degree from University of Portsmouth.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board welcomed Pybus and expressed
confidence in his leadership as the national team prepares for upcoming
international competitions.
