Former J&K, Hyderabad head coach Milap Mewada appointed batting coach of Afghanistan

New Delhi, Aug 12: The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has appointed Milap Mewada as the new batting coach of the men’s team. Mewada has already joined the Afghanistan squad in Sri Lanka ahead of the three-match ODI series against Pakistan.

He has been offered a full-time contract after careful consideration by the ACB of his recent stint with the Afghanistan squad during the Abu Dhabi training camp and the Bangladesh tour in July, where he worked in the same capacity in the T20I series.

Mewada, 48, played 11 first-class and 26 List-A matches as a wicketkeeper-batter for Baroda between 1996 and 2005, before commencing his coaching career. Mewada has served as the head coach of Jammu & Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, and Hyderabad teams in men’s domestic cricket.

Under his coaching, Jammu & Kashmir managed to reach the quarterfinals of the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy season. He has also been part of the coaching setups with the VVS Sporting Academy and the Baroda Cricket Association and has a total of 32 years of being in the sport as a player and coach.

He is credited for getting all-rounder Abdul Samad into the Sunrisers Hyderabad set-up in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and worked with young batter Tilak Varma in the Hyderabad side, which is currently playing in India’s T20I series against the West Indies.

Mewada was in the race to become the head coach of Baroda for the 2023-24 domestic season before Mukund Parmar was given the role. With Afghanistan set to play in Men’s ODI World Cup in India from October 5 to November 19, Mewada’s role will be crucial keeping in mind his experience and knowledge of playing in Indian conditions.

Afghanistan men’s team is currently undergoing a conditioning camp in Sri Lanka as they gear up for the three-match ODI series against Pakistan, which is scheduled to begin on August 22 in Hambantota.

The first two matches between Afghanistan and Pakistan are set to be held in Hambantota on August 22 and 24, whereas the third and final match will be played in Colombo on August 26.