ACB appoints Graham Thorpe as Afghanistan team's new head coach
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) have appointed former England cricketer Graham Thorpe as the head coach of their men's cricket team. Thorpe, 52, departed from his position as England's batting coach post the 4-0 debacle in the Ashes earlier this year. He has covered six tours with the England Lions and 12 tours with the men's national cricket team. Here are the details.
Why does this story matter?
Thorpe held the position of England's batting coach from 2010-22. He worked closely with England's national side from April 2010 to September 2019. He was strongly involved with the England cricket team that were crowned champions in the 2019 World Cup. He has a wealth of experience underneath that he could impart to the Afghanistan Men's cricket team.
ACB's statement on Thorpe's appointment
"Former English middle-order batter Graham Thorpe has been named as the new head coach of our national men's cricket team. He will step up into the role of head coach ahead of the upcoming international events of Afghanistan," read a statement posted by the ACB.
A look at Graham Thorpe's international career
Thorpe was one of the best batters for England during his international career (1993-2005). He featured in 100 Tests for England, amassing 6,744 runs at an average of 44.66. He has notched 16 hundreds and 39 fifties, with 200* as the personal best. Across 82 ODIs, the southpaw aggregated 2,380 runs while averaging 37.18. He smashed 21 fifties in his ODI career.
Road ahead for Afghanistan cricket team
Afghanistan cricket team would be touring Ireland for five-match T20I series. The series is slated to take place between August 9-22. The matches will be held at the Civil Services Cricket Club in Belfast. Post that, Afghanistan would be heading straight into the 2022 T20 World Cup which will be hosted by Australia in the month of October-November.
