Afghanistan name R Sridhar as assistant coach for upcoming New Zealand and South Africa series

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced former Team India fielding coach R Sridhar as their assistant coach for the upcoming series against New Zealand and South Africa. Afghanistan will play New Zealand in a one-off Test in Greater Noida, starting September 9.

Following the red-ball game, the Afghans will take on South Africa in a three-match T20I series in Sharjah from September 18 to 22.

Sridhar was India's fielding coach from 2014 to 2021, including two ODI and T20 World Cups. He was also part of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) coaching staff from 2014 to 2017, including their lone final appearance in 2014.

Sridhar is a Level-3 certified coach with coaching experience with Hyderabad Under-19 and Under-16 teams. He was part of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru in 2011 and was subsequently appointed the fielding coach of the India Under-19 team the same year.

Sridhar was also a former Indian domestic cricketer through the 1990s, playing 35 first-class and 15 List-A games. With his left-arm spin-bowling, he picked up 105 wickets in domestic cricket with two 5-wicket hauls.

The Karnataka-born cricketer was also a useful batter, evidenced by his first-class and List-A averages of 16.40 and 17.25, respectively.

Sridhar was replaced by T Dilip as India's fielding coach in 2021 once Rahul Dravid took over as head coach. The 54-year-old also coached the California Knights to a third place finish in the US Masters T10 League last year.

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Afghanistan will play their first-ever Test against New Zealand

Afghanistan's one-off Test against New Zealand will be their first in the format against the Kiwi outfit.

The Afghans have thus far played nine Tests in their history, winning three and losing six. They have lost their last three red-ball outings to Ireland, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Afghanistan defeated New Zealand in the recent T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA. The result played a massive role in the Black Caps' exit from the tournament before the Super Eights.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan made history by advancing to their first-ever ICC event semi-final before suffering a crushing defeat to South Africa.

They will look to avenge that loss in the three-match T20I series against the Proteas that follows the one-off Test against New Zealand.