Islamabad, August 5, 2026 (Nosheen): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed former South African first-class cricketer Michael Smith as the batting coach of the Pakistan men’s national cricket team on a two-year contract. The 46-year-old coach will work with both the red-ball and white-ball squads and is scheduled to join the national side ahead of Pakistan’s three-match Test series against England, which begins on August 19. Michael Smith brings extensive playing and coaching experience to the role. During his domestic playing career, he amassed 7,029 runs across first-class, List A and T20 cricket, including nine centuries and 40 half-centuries, establishing himself as a consistent performer.

A Level 4-qualified coach, Smith has built an impressive coaching résumé. He has previously been part of the coaching staff of three HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises and has also served as batting coach for the Hobart Hurricanes and Cricket Tasmania, where he played a key role in player development and batting performance.  The Pakistan Cricket Board stated that Smith’s appointment is part of its broader strategy to strengthen the national team’s coaching setup ahead of a demanding international schedule.The PCB expressed confidence that Smith’s experience and expertise will contribute significantly to the development of Pakistan’s batting unit and help the team achieve consistent success across all formats of the game.