Key Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Coaching, Planning, and Implementation:
- Lead the design and execution of a comprehensive annual coaching and competition plan for the Afghanistan National Team.
- Oversee all training sessions, match preparation, and tactical planning across all formats.
- Ensure structured preparation camps are conducted ahead of all major tournaments and series.
- Align team goals with ACB’s strategic direction and the performance framework defined by the HPC, Selection and International Cricket Department.
2. Player Development and Individual Plans:
- Develop and maintain Individual Development Plans for each national player, with measurable goals related to technical, tactical, physical, and mental performance.
- Work closely with the HPC coaching staff, Selection department and International Cricket Department to implement and monitor these plans.
- Provide detailed performance reviews after each series or tournament, highlighting player progress, development needs, and action plans.
- Support players in off-season and off-event training to continually improve their skills and maintain readiness.
3. Leadership and Team Culture:
- Build a high-performance culture rooted in discipline, unity, accountability, and respect.
- Inspire players and staff to adopt a winning mindset while maintaining Afghanistan’s unique team spirit.
- Lead, mentor, and evaluate all support staff to ensure optimal contribution toward team performance.
- Uphold ACB’s values and set professional standards for behavior and integrity within the squad.
4. Presence in Afghanistan:
- The Head Coach must attend all national team camps and be present in Afghanistan during key domestic events where national players participate (such as Shpageeza League, Regional Tournaments, or HPC events).
- Actively engage with HPC coaches and selection department to identify emerging talent and ensure alignment between domestic and national performance structures.
5. Coordination and Communication:
- Maintain direct working relationships with:
- International Cricket Department (primary reporting line).
- High Performance Centre (HPC).
- Selection Committee.
- Coordinate player performance data, IDPs, and fitness updates with HPC and International Cricket staff.
- Ensure effective communication between national team coaches, analysts, and medical staff to support player welfare and continuity.
6. Reporting and Evaluation:
- Submit detailed written reports after each:
- Preparation camp.
- Bilateral series or tournament.
- ICC & ACC Events.
- Major domestic event involving national players.
Each report should include:
- Player performance evaluations.
- Tactical and technical assessments.
- Preparation outcomes and improvement areas.
- Support staff performance review.
- Use video analysis and performance metrics to evaluate progress and conduct “lessons learned” reviews after every major assignment.
7. Collaboration:
Work closely with:
- HPC coaches and performance specialists on technical programs, conditioning, and skills refinement.
- Selection Committee to provide data-driven insights for player selection and retention.
- Domestic coaching network to align national and regional training methodologies.
- International Cricket Department on scheduling, logistics, and technical planning for series.
8. Professional Conduct:
- Adhere to the ACB’s Code of Conduct, Ethics, and Professional Standards.
- Maintain strict confidentiality regarding team operations, player assessments, and internal communications.
- Represent Afghanistan Cricket with professionalism, cultural sensitivity, and respect on and off the field.
Reporting Line:
- Reports to: Manager – International Cricket Department
- Works closely with: High Performance Centre and Selection Committee
- Coordinates with: Team support staff, analysts, medical and fitness personnel.
QUALIFICATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:
- Minimum ICC Level 3 Coaching Qualification.
- Demonstrable success as a cricket coach at Domestic and/or international level.
- Experience of coaching in professional cricket.
- Minimum of 10 years’ coaching experience, preferably with ICC Full Member(s).
- Should have experience as Head Coach of a Full Member for minimum 2 years or Head Coach of an Associate Member/international leagues/First Class Teams/National A Team, for minimum 3 years.
- Ability to motivate and influence professional cricketers, coaches and teams.
- Resilience and energy to operate in a challenging and high profile working environment.
- Proven ability to operate with professionalism and integrity in challenging situations.
- Exceptional planning, co-ordination and organizational skills.
- Self-motivated with the ability to work independently or as part of a team.
- High level interpersonal, written, and verbal communication and influencing skills.
- Strong disciplinary skills.
Leadership Skills:
- Strong leadership and interpersonal skills with a demonstrated track record of successful leadership and working with a broad range of people.
- Able to provide a focus on innovative leadership to create a learning and participative environment.
- Drives for results and can be counted on to achieve goals successfully.
- Displays the courage to make decisions.
- Skills in a culturally diverse environment.
- Ability to influence others, with excellent team building and collaboration skills.
- Open to change.
Technical Skills:
- Adopts a tailored approach to communicating messages to all.
- Understands the learning process and training principles.
- Understands the various coaching styles.
- Understands long term player development.
- Understands the causes and recognizes the symptoms of over training.
- Understands how to reduce the risk of injury to players.
- Able to prepare individually tailored training and development plans for each player.
- Able to use evaluation tests to monitor training progress and predict performance.
- Able to evaluate the players competition performance.
- Ability to manage and measure development, including setting clear.
- objectives and measures and monitoring progress against targets set.
- Competent in the use of current Microsoft Office products.
Core Competencies:
- Self-awareness (seeks feedback, challenges own coaching ability, understands the impact their behavior has on others).
- Builds and maintains trusting relationships (displays empathy, operates with integrity, supports others).
- Makes change happen (encourages boundaries to be broken, ensures performance improvements happen).
- Has a sense of humor and views players through a holistic lens.
- Gets the best out of others (sets challenging expectations, ensures player. learning, customizes communication, provides feedback / reinforcement, builds confidence).
- Assists to manage and advocate for the broader ACB High Performance Unit goals and objectives.
- Is cool under pressure and can be counted on to hold things together during tough times.
Desirable:
- ICC Level 4 Coaching Qualification.
- Minimum of 2 years’ experience of leading a high-performance Program in professional cricket.
- Sports Science and Medicine professional qualification.
Travel Requirement:
- Head Coach may be required to travel Afghanistan for training camps and to provide coaching support to the national team.
Interested candidates should submit their applications via e-mail, indicating in the subject line the title and vacancy number of the position (Head Coach (National Team) - 027/ 2025) to the below email address.
Please note that applications received after the closing date will not be given consideration.
Only short-listed candidates who meet the criteria will be contacted for the written test and interview.
Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is the sole independent governing body for managing, organizing and development of Cricket (Men and Women) in Afghanistan. The game of cricket was officially established in 1995 in Afghanistan. It was granted affiliate membership by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2001, associate membership of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in 2003 and full membership of International Cricket Council in June 2017. Afghanistan has its National Cricket Teams playing among top 10 cricketing countries of the world.