Afghanistan’s newly appointed head coach, Richard Pybus, has insisted he has no reservations about working in a politically challenging environment.
International cricket is yet to take off on Afghan soil and due to the political situation in the country, foreign coaches have to operate from abroad.
In the past, coaches have worked with Afghan cricketers ahead of international campaigns in the United Arab Emirates or India, with Greater Noida, Dehradun and Lucknow all hosting Afghanistan’s “home” matches.
Currently, the United Arab Emirates serves as the primary venue for Afghanistan’s home games.
Unlike in the past, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACP) has decided that the new head coach and coaching staff should work within Afghanistan.
The move coincides with a search for a replacement for longtime coach Jonathan Trott, who stepped down following Afghanistan’s campaign at the ongoing T20 World Cup after almost four years.
Bybus’ appointment raised questions about whether he would accept a role based in Afghanistan.
Speaking ahead of the white-ball series against Sri Lanka scheduled from mid-March, he expressed interest in working in different provinces of the country.
“No, I don’t have any second thoughts about coming to Afghanistan. I don’t have any problem with it,” Pybus said.
“You know, I’ve lived in different parts of the world, so I’m pretty good,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to it, I’m looking forward to coming and seeing the talent in the country. I’ve heard great things about it (Afghanistan) and you know, I love that you’ve got this really incredible cricket culture,” he added.
Reflecting on Afghanistan’s rapid rise in international cricket, Pybus said: “It’s remarkable to see the evolution of cricket in the country, to move quickly to compete with the world’s top teams. We’ve seen that in the last two World Cups. The talent here is exceptional.”
Bybus stressed that player development will be a key priority.
“We’ve seen that in the last two World Cups. You know watching this talent, it’s just exceptional,” he said.
“So I’m looking forward to going to the provinces, scouting players, working with the selectors and being busy with player development. It’s not necessarily – you know – developing players when you’re playing in the series,” he said.
“Player development is the work you do behind the scenes outside of the series,” he said.
“The side has really developed over a period of time, so, as we have seen in the last two World Cups, they are now a very serious cricket team. So, yes, very exciting,” he said.
For now, Pybus said his focus will be on building relationships with players and understanding the team’s depth.
“So right now, it’s just getting to know the players, getting to know the leadership, settling in with the team,” Pybus said.
“I need to get to know the players, I need to collaborate with the leadership. You know, they have developed into a really good white-ball team. There are incumbents in the one-day and T20 team, but it’s also important to understand what the talent is underneath.
“You know, you’re only as good as the strength and depth in your system, so that’s going to be a key focus,” he said.
“You can have critical injuries and then your side will be weakened. So, strengthening the depth, getting competition for points, supporting the players who are there and helping them develop, and reviewing where the sides are, where the formation is,” he added.
Pybus added that they are keen to get off to a strong start as Afghanistan prepare for a three-T20I and three-ODI white-ball series against Sri Lanka.
The series will begin with the T20I at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on March 13, while the second and third matches are scheduled for March 15 and 17.
The action will shift to the Dubai International Cricket Stadium for the ODI series on March 20, 22 and 25.
“Firstly, our focus in that series (against Sri Lanka) is that they are a good white-ball side and we want to play good cricket,” he concluded.