Sri Lanka appoint Aaqib Javed as fast-bowling coach ahead of T20 WC

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed the appointment of former Pakistan pace bowler Aaqib Javed as the national team's fast bowling coach on 16 March, Saturday.

Javed will start in his new role with immediate effect and work until the end of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA in June 2024.

Sri Lanka's newly appointed coach has played 163 ODIs and 22 test matches for Pakistan, picking 236 international wickets. Javed was also a member of Pakistan's 1992 World Cup-winning team.

The CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket Ashley De Silva expressed Javed's experience will help their bowlers get 'into good shape' ahead of the highly-anticipated T20 World Cup.

"We warmly welcome Aaqib and believe that his immense international experience, both in playing and coaching, will help our bowlers come into good shape ahead of the upcoming major international competitions, such as the ICC Men's T20 World Cup," said De Silva.

Javed has previously worked for several national teams in different coaching capacities, including bowling coach of the Pakistan national team, serving as the UAE national team coach, and working with the Afghanistan national team in a development role.

He coached the Pakistan U19 team to victory in the 2004 U19 Men's Cricket World Cup and was the bowling coach during Pakistan's triumph in the 2009 T20 World Cup in England.

Javed also played a pivotal role during his coaching tenure with the UAE National Team when they obtained ODI and T20I status, reaching the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in 2015 and featuring in the qualifiers for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2014.