Afghanistan cricket appoint Richard Pybus as head coach ahead of SL series

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has officially named Richard Pybus as the new Head Coach of the Afghanistan national men’s team. Pybus is set to take charge ahead of Afghanistan’s upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka Cricket in March, marking a significant step in the team’s preparations for a busy international calendar.

 

Vast International Coaching Experience

 

Pybus brings decades of elite-level coaching and leadership experience to the role. Widely regarded as a high-performance specialist, he previously worked with the West Indies cricket team as Head Coach, Director of Cricket, and Head of High Performance between 2013 and 2019. During that tenure, he designed and oversaw a structure that delivered a historic achievement in 2016, when the West Indies won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, and ICC Under-19 World Cup in the same year, a first in international cricket.

 

 

Earlier in his career, Pybus coached the Pakistan national cricket team and guided them to the final of the 1999 ICC Cricket World Cup. He also held a senior leadership position with the Bangladesh national cricket team in 2013. 

 

Domestic Success and Player Development

 

Beyond the international stage, Pybus has enjoyed remarkable success in South African domestic and franchise cricket, where teams under his guidance secured nine championship titles, a national record. His excellence was recognized with two South African Coach of the Year awards.

 

He has also contributed to the development of leading cricketers such as Mohammad Rizwan, Faf du Plessis, and Dale Steyn, helping shape their growth at the highest level.

 

Academic Credentials and Performance Philosophy

 

In addition to his coaching achievements, Pybus is an accomplished academic. He earned a Doctorate in Professional Practice from Middlesex University in 2022 for his research on the “Optimal Performance System,” a framework focused on delivering sustained success in high-performance environments.

 

The ACB has expressed confidence that Pybus’ experience, strategic insight, and leadership will strengthen Afghanistan’s progress on the global stage.