Afghanistan ropes in Milap Mewada as batting coach in Asia Cup, ODI World Cup build-up

The former Baroda wicketkeeper-batter has joined the Afghanistan team for its white-ball series against Pakistan. He will also work with the team in the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup

Mewada is currently in Sri Lanka with the Afghanistan team for its series against Pakistan.  | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Afghanistan Cricket Board has roped in former Baroda wicketkeeper-batter Milap Mewada as the batting coach of the senior team ahead of the ODI World Cup.

As reported by  Sportstar last month, Mewada was appointed as Afghanistan’s batting coach for the T20I series against Bangladesh, but that was a one-off assignment.

However, after the series got over, the ACB decided to hand him a longer contract up to December, and he will be part of the coaching staff for the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup, which will be held in India in October-November. 

Mewada is currently in Sri Lanka with the Afghanistan team for its series against Pakistan. 

A seasoned coach in the domestic circuit, Mewada has worked with several state teams - including Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabad. He was also in the race to become the head coach of Baroda this season, but the Baroda Cricket Association named Mukund Parmar for the job after its first-choice Amol Muzumdar expressed his inability to take up the assignment.

Before joining the team in Bangladesh, Mewada worked with the Afghanistan team for a few weeks and was in Abu Dhabi for a camp with the T20I players.

Under head coach Jonathan Trott, Afghanistan has a strong support staff group with Raees Ahmadzai as the assistant coach and Riyan Maron as the fielding coach. Hamid Hassan, the former Afghanistan fast bowler, is the bowling coach, while Jason Douglas is the strength and conditioning coach.

The 48-year-old Mewada played 11 first-class and 26 List-A matches for Baroda between 1996 and 2005, and later, he worked with several young cricketers as a full-time coach. Under his guidance, Jammu and Kashmir made it to the quarterfinals of the Ranji Trophy in the 2019-20 season and he played a key role in recommending Abdul Samad to VVS Laxman for a berth in the Sunrisers Hyderabad team in the Indian Premier League.