Afghanistan cricket team’s coaching staff is all set to be impacted by the ongoing global Coronavirus crisis which led to the shutdown of sporting events including cricket all over the world.
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has on Tuesday (May 12) announced that the board will be cutting down the salaries of their coaching staff by 25 percent this month to deal with the financial crisis caused by the pandemic.
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Afghanistan head coach Lance Klusener, batting coach HD Ackermann and assistant coach Nawroz Mangal are among the staff who will be impacted by the ACB’s latest decision.
Further, it is being said that the ACB can cut salary up to 50 percent in June if Afghanistan’s tour of Zimbabwe scheduled in June is cancelled due to the ongoing global crisis.
ACB chief executive Lutfullah Stanikzai stated, “This is part of our cost-saving strategy as we have been also impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. We have decided to cut 25 per cent (of the salary for the coaches) for May, 50 percent for June if we are not able to resume international cricket. We will try and keep them for as long as our financial situation allows.”
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The official further added, “We are just trying to save costs wherever we can. There has been a loss of revenue for us - the government grant we receive is at risk because the government is spending that on dealing with the pandemic.”
Meanwhile, the ACB CEO said there is still no clarity about the staging of Asia Cup 2020 because of the COVID-19 outbreak and if the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 doesn’t go ahead according to the schedule in October-November in Australia, then the board will suffer a huge loss of revenue.
Stanikzai signed off by saying, “We are not 100 per cent sure the Asia Cup will take place and the revenue we will receive from there. If there are problems with the T20 World Cup, that will also impact us negatively going forward to next year and beyond.”
Noteworthy, Afghanistan’s next official assignment is the Asia Cup 2020, while they are set to play five T20Is in Zimbabwe, which isn’t part of the Future Tours Programme in June.
(With IANS Inputs)
