KABUL: The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACP) has appointed experienced South African physiotherapist Cliff Deacon as the new physiotherapist of the Afghanistan Men’s National Cricket Team following an open recruitment process.
Deacon replaces former team physiotherapist Nirmalan, who spent about a year with the Afghanistan national team.
A qualified physiotherapist, Deegan holds a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy from the University of the Free State in South Africa. He is affiliated with several medical and professional councils in South Africa and Australia.
Having worked in sports physiotherapy since 2007, Deacon brings extensive international experience to the role.
He has previously worked with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), South Africa A and several provincial teams in South Africa. Currently a Level 4 Physiotherapist, he has provided medical support at 311 international competitions.
Before switching to physiotherapy, Deacon enjoyed a successful playing career with 239 First-Class, List A and T20 matches.
ACP welcomes Deacon to the national organization and wishes him every success in his new role.
After working in professional cricket in South Africa, Deacon joined the Pakistan Men’s National Team support staff in 2017, bringing extensive expertise in sports rehabilitation and injury management.
He was appointed Pakistan’s leading physiotherapist as the PCB strengthened its clinical and high performance departments, focusing on improving player fitness, recovery and workload management.
During his nearly nine-year stint with Pakistan, Deacon worked in all three international formats and was part of several ICC tournaments, bilateral series and overseas tours.
He oversaw the rehabilitation of several leading players and played a key role in managing the fitness and recovery programs of Pakistan’s fast bowlers, working closely with the medical team to monitor workloads and prepare players for international duties.
Despite several changes in coaching and team management, Deacon remained a regular member of Pakistan’s support staff under different PCB administrations.
However, in May, the PCB decided not to retain Deacon, appointing Iftikhar Ahmed as the team’s physiotherapist for the ODI series against Australia.
While the PCB has not officially revealed the reasons behind the decision, reports suggest that it followed internal concerns regarding recurring injuries, late player withdrawals and overall fitness management within the national team.
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