KATHMANDU: Sudurpaschim Royals have named former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq as their head coach for the third edition of the Nepal Premier League (NPL).
The announcement was confirmed through Royals’ social media handles.
“One of Pakistan’s most respected figures in international cricket, former captain and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq is now part of Sudurpaschim Royals,” the caption of the post read.
Misbah has extensive experience in T20 franchise cricket, having led Islamabad United to their maiden triumph in the inagural edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2015. Overall, he played 162 T20Is, scoring 3491 runs at an average of 33.89, including a century.
Misbah secured 26 wins in 56 Test matches for Pakistan. Under his captaincy, Pakistan also topped the ICC rankings in 2016.
Earlier this year, Misbah also served as the batting coach of Peshawar Zalmi, who went on to win the PSL 11 after a nine-year wait.
Following the announcement, Misbah expressed his excitement about the upcoming edition and praised Nepal’s passionate cricket fans for their support.
“I am very excited to be joining the Sudurpaschim Royals as the head coach for the upcoming season. I have heard a lot about the passion for the cricket in Nepal. I am really looking forward to being part of that atmosphere and working with the talented group of players,” he said.
The third season of the NPL is scheduled to run from 26 October to 21 November. Sudurpaschim Royals topped the league standings in both previous editions and reached the final on both occasions. However, they failed to win either final.
Lumbini Lions are the defending champions of the tournament.