Afghanistan Cricket Board appoint Graham Thorpe as Head Coach

Former England batsman Graham Thorpe has been appointed head coach of the Afghanistan Cricket Team, with immediate effect.

Thorpe, who represented England in 100 Tests between 1993-2005, has replaced former rival and legendary South African cricketer Lance Klusener.


Afghanistan has been searching for a full-time head coach, ever since Klusener left the position vacant in November 2021.

Stuart Law was filling in on an interim basis following Klusener's departure.

Apart from Thorpe, the likes of Misbah-ul-Haq, former Aussie cricketer and Middlesex head coach Stuart Law were also in the fray, but ultimately, the former England southpaw grabbed the role.

In their official statement, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) revealed that they had launched a recruitment process for the senior team's head coach position, and Thorpe emerged as the best possible option.


The statement also clarified that Thorpe will assume the position with immediate effect. 

"The ACB had launched the recruitment process for hiring a new head coach, through which Graham Thorpe was selected as the best available nominee for the position," the board said in an official press-release this week.

"He will step up into the role of head coach ahead of the upcoming international events of Afghanistan," the statement added.

The development comes in the immediate aftermath of Thorpe leaving the English men's coaching system after nearly a decade.

Thorpe was sacked from his assistant coach and batting consultant position following a shake-up of England's power structure following a humiliating Ashes drubbing in Australia.

His stint ended on a controversial note after a video of the English and Australian players enjoying late-night drinking sessions following the end of the series, which he had filmed, got leaked into the public domain.


The video also showed Thorpe smoking a cigar inside the dressing room. After head coach Chris Silverwood and managing director Ashley Giles, the veteran English cricketer-turned-coach was the third casualty of England's 0-4 drubbing, Down Under.

Thorpe was also in line to replace Stuart Law as Middlesex head coach, but former England seamer Richard Johnson has now filled that position.


Afghanistan's next international assignment is the tour of Ireland in August, where they will play a 5-match T20I series.





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