Pakistan has moved to strengthen its coaching staff by appointing former South African first-class cricketer Michael Smith as the batting coach for the national side. Smith, a level 4 coach, brings significant experience from his previous roles, including stints as a coach in the Pakistan Super League with Islamabad United and, more recently, as an assistant coach for the Multan Sultans. He is expected to take over full responsibility for both red and white-ball formats, filling a void left by the absence of a dedicated batting specialist, a role previously managed on an ad-hoc basis by national selector Asad Shafiq. While an official announcement is pending, an agreement has been reached, and Smith will begin his tenure with the upcoming tour of England, where Babar Azam’s team is scheduled to play three Tests.
The appointment comes as Pakistan’s batting lineup faces intense scrutiny due to a pattern of frequent collapses under pressure. A recent example occurred during a Test against the West Indies, where the team surrendered a strong position of 244 for 3, losing their final seven wickets for just 38 runs before being dismissed for 120 while chasing 211. This recurring volatility has been a major factor in the national side losing 13 of their last 17 Test matches.
Beyond the top-order struggles, the team has also contended with a failing lower order. Since the beginning of 2025, Pakistan’s last four batsmen have averaged only 9.91 runs per wicket, the lowest figure among all Test-playing nations. Furthermore, the bowlers have struggled to clean up opposing tails, allowing the opposition's lower order to average 27.02 runs per wicket since May 2024, the worst record in international Test cricket. With these challenges mounting, Smith’s arrival is aimed at correcting these deficiencies before the first Test against England, which is set to begin on August 19 in Leeds.
