Source - The Hindu

Former India all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar will assist the Afghanistan team as a bowling coach. His appointment runs until theT20 World Cup to be held in India next year.

His last official stint with a team was as coach of the Delhi team in 2011 when he was removed for having spoken his mind against the official management. “I was never given a chance to explain,” Prabhakar had said.

He stayed in touch with the game as a TV expert but this offer has rekindled his desire to share his prowess of a crafty seamer.

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I am glad I can guide the Afghan team. They have immense talent and I am sure, in the years to come, the Afghanistan team would emerge as a force to reckon with in all forms of the game. They have shown a healthy keenness to learn the finer points of the game.

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- said Prabhakar as he trained the Afghan players here ahead of their one-day series against Zimbabwe.

Afghanistan has adopted the newly-constructed Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida as its ‘home’ ground. The team has been having a camp under the guidance of Prabhakar.

Afghanistan was looking at the possibility of playing the series against Zimbabwe at the Greater Noida Stadium but the venue did not meet the sanction of the International Cricket Council.

“We would soon have things in place in order to host an international event,” said former North Zone batsman Venkat Sundaram, in-charge of the cricket activities at the stadium.

With Greater Noida ruled out, the Afghans looked at the possibility of Visakhapatnam but ended up choosing Dubai for the series against Zimbabwe.

The crowd support at Dubai was the clinching factor for Afghanistan turning down the Visakhapatnam offer.

Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq is the chief coach of Afghanistan and would join the team in Dubai. For Prabhakar, it is a welcome stage to return to the game. In his 12-year-career starting in 1984, Prabhakar played 39 Tests and 130 ODIs.