The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has appointed R Sridhar as the assistant coach for Afghanistan's upcoming series against New Zealand and South Africa. Sridhar, who previously served as India's fielding coach from 2014 to 2021 as part of Ravi Shastri's support team, brings a wealth of experience to the role.
Afghanistan, under the guidance of head coach and former England batter Jonathan Trott, is set to play a one-off Test against New Zealand in Noida starting on September 9, followed by three ODIs against South Africa in Sharjah beginning on September 18. Sridhar, 54, is a former left-arm spinner who represented Hyderabad in India's domestic cricket during the 1990s. His coaching journey began in 2001, leading him to roles at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, with the India Under-19 team at the 2014 World Cup, and with Kings XI Punjab in the IPL, culminating in his long tenure with India's senior national team. He is a Level-3 certified coach.
The ACB has indicated that Sridhar's position with Afghanistan could potentially extend into a longer-term contract in the future.