Former South African Batter to Coach Babar’s Pakistan

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed former South African cricketer Michael Smith as the batting coach of the Pakistan men’s national team, handing him a two-year contract as the side prepares for a demanding period across Test and white-ball cricket.

The PCB announced on Tuesday that the 46-year-old Smith will work with Pakistan across both red-ball and limited-overs formats. He is expected to join the national set-up before the start of Pakistan’s three-match Test series against England, which is scheduled to begin on 19 August.

Smith’s appointment has attracted attention because, despite spending a decade in professional cricket, he never represented South Africa at international level. His career, however, was built on substantial domestic experience and a long association with competitive cricket in the country.

A right-handed batter, Smith played between 2003 and 2013, appearing in 89 first-class matches, 72 List A games and 16 Twenty20 fixtures. Across those formats, he accumulated 7,029 runs, including nine centuries and 40 half-centuries. While he did not make the step up to the Proteas, his experience in domestic cricket and subsequent coaching work has helped establish his credentials in the technical side of the game.

Smith holds a Level 4 coaching qualification, one of the key professional credentials cited in his appointment. He has also worked with several franchises in the HBL Pakistan Super League, gaining experience in a competition that brings together players from different cricketing backgrounds and demands intensive preparation in the shortest format.

His previous PSL associations include Islamabad United, Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans. Working within those environments would have given Smith exposure to a wide range of batting styles, tactical approaches and match situations, particularly in T20 cricket.

His new role with Pakistan will be broader. Rather than focusing exclusively on the shorter format, Smith will be responsible for working with batters across Test and white-ball cricket. That presents a different challenge, as players must adapt their techniques, tempo and decision-making to significantly different match conditions.

For Pakistan, the appointment comes at a time when the national team continues to balance the demands of international cricket across formats. The role will also place Smith in a position to work closely with established players, including captain and senior batter Babar Azam, while also contributing to the development of the wider batting group.

Smith’s lack of international playing experience is likely to remain a point of discussion, but coaching at the highest level does not necessarily depend solely on an international playing career. Technical knowledge, domestic experience, coaching qualifications and the ability to communicate effectively with players are also important elements of the job.

The upcoming Test series against England will provide Smith with an early opportunity to begin his tenure in a demanding international environment. His immediate task will be to help Pakistan’s batters prepare for the longer format while also contributing to their development for white-ball assignments.

With a two-year contract in place, the PCB will hope that Smith can bring consistency, technical expertise and fresh ideas to Pakistan’s batting unit. His appointment marks another step in the board’s efforts to strengthen the national coaching structure and improve the team’s performance across all formats.