Amid the chaos in Afghanistan created by the Taliban, Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Wednesday (August 18) announced the signing of the former Sri Lankan batsman Avishka Gunawardene as the team’s batting coach for the upcoming ODI series against Pakistan.

Gunawardene replaced former South African batsman Hylton Deon Ackerman as Afghanistan’s batting coach after being roped in the role by the ACB on Wednesday for the three-match ODI series against Pakistan to be played from September 1-5 in Sri Lanka.

Recently, the ACB had named former Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait as Afghanistan’s new bowling coach and now Gunawardene will assist the team’s batting department during the Pakistan series. Tait and Gunawardene both are expected to join the Afghanistan team in Sri Lanka directly.

Read Also: ICC in touch with the ACB; monitoring situation in Afghanistan: Report

Notably, Gunawardene has previously served as Sri Lanka’s batting coach as well as coached the Sri Lanka A and Emerging teams.

However, Gunawardene’s stint with Afghanistan – which is likely to be extended after the Pakistan series, subject to his approval, will be his first major assignment after he was cleared of corruption charges related to allegedly breaching the Emirates Cricket Board's anti-corruption code during the T10 Tournament in the UAE back in 2017.

The ACB chief executive Hamid Shinwari said: “We have already resumed (our office), and the national camp which was underway ahead of the Pakistan series in Sri Lanka will also resume after a two-day break with the change in regime.”

A top ACB official has reportedly stated that they are hoping everything will be in order in the coming days as far as their traveling is concerned as the Kabul airport remains closed after the Taliban takeover of the capital of Afghanistan.

(With Cricbuzz/PTI Inputs)