Pakistan set to name Mike Smith as Test batting coach ahead of England tour

Pakistan were preparing to appoint former South African first-class cricketer Mike Smith as Test batting coach ahead of the tour of England, replacing Asad Shafiq, according to a Telecom Asia Sport report cited by ZeeNews India. Unnamed sources told the outlet Smith applied after the Pakistan Cricket Board advertised the post and would take charge for the England tour, and that Shafiq's role was criticised because he also sat on the men's and women's selection committees while heading the board's Karachi academy. The report said Pakistan has cycled through several batting coaches in three years and that the board's advertisement drew few applications, with sources suggesting foreign coaches see the job as short-lived. Smith, a Level 4 coach, previously worked with Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League. Pakistan had lost eight straight Tests away from home at the time of the report.