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Toby Radford Appointed Afghanistan Batting Coach for T20 World Cup Push

The Afghanistan Cricket Board has appointed Toby Radford as the national team's new batting coach and Robert Ahmun as the strength and conditioning trainer. Radford, a former first-class cricketer and ECB Level 4 coach, brings extensive experience from roles with the PCB, Bangladesh Cricket Board, and the West Indies' 2012 T20 World Cup win. Robert Ahmun joins from the ECB where he served as Head of Performance Science and Medicine. The new staff will begin with a three-match T20I series against the West Indies in Dubai this January, ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

Key Points: Afghanistan Appoints Toby Radford as Batting Coach

  • Radford appointed batting coach
  • Robert Ahmun named strength trainer
  • Duo to join for West Indies T20I series
  • Focus on ICC T20 World Cup 2026
  • Radford brings vast global coaching experience
2 min read

ACB appoints Toby Radford as batting coach ahead of ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026

ACB names Toby Radford as new batting coach and Robert Ahmun as strength trainer ahead of T20 World Cup 2026 and West Indies series.

"The Afghanistan Cricket Board on Tuesday announced the appointment of Toby Radford as their national team's batting coach - ACB Release"

Kabul, January 13

The Afghanistan Cricket Board on Tuesday announced the appointment of Toby Radford as their national team's batting coach and Robert Ahmun as their new strength and conditioning trainer, as per a release.

The ACB also confirmed that the duo will join the senior men's squad ahead of the three-match T20I series against the West Indies.

Toby Radford had previously coached Welsh Cricket, and he was a former First-Class cricketer who played for Middlesex and Sussex. Toby has been widely recognised as an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)- Level 4-certified coach.

Currently, the former cricketer serves as the head coach of Dhaka Capitals in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2026 season.

Earlier, Toby served as the Batting Coach for the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) High Performance Centre (2022-2024) and Head of High Performance for the Bangladesh Cricket Board (2020-2022).

The former cricketer also played a vital role on the West Indies coaching staff during their 2012 ICC Men's T20 World Cup triumph and a historic Test series win against England in 2019.

The 54-year-old played 14 First-Class matches and notched up 476 runs, including five half-centuries. In List A cricket, Toby notched up 159 runs in six matches at an average of 31.80, with the help of one fifty.

Robert Ahmun hails from Cardiff and Wales. Recently, he served as the Head of Performance Science and Medicine for the ECB. He assumed that role in December 2022. Since then, Robert has seen the physical preparation and medical services for England's national cricket teams.

With over two decades of experience, Ahmun's served in the ECB's National Lead for Strength and Conditioning (2017-2022) and coaching within the England Pathways program.

Ahmun holds an MSc in Sport and Exercise Science from the University of Wales, Cardiff (2003) and a bachelor's degree from the University of Exeter (1998).

Meanwhile, Afghanistan will take on the West Indies in a T20I series. The three matches are scheduled for January 19, 21, and 22 in Dubai.

After the conclusion of the three-match T20I series between Afghanistan and the West Indies, both countries will participate in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Interesting appointment. While his credentials are good, I hope the focus remains on developing local Afghan coaching talent in the long run. Foreign expertise is great for a boost, but sustainable growth comes from within. Best of luck to the team for the series against WI and the World Cup!
A
Aman W
Afghanistan's rise in cricket is one of the best stories in sports. Getting a specialist batting coach before a big World Cup shows they mean business. Hope they give a tough fight to all teams in 2026, especially when they play in India! The matches in Dubai will be a good test.
S
Sarah B
Robert Ahmun's background with the ECB is impressive. Strength and conditioning is so crucial in modern T20 cricket. If he can help the Afghan players with fitness and injury prevention, it could make a huge difference in their World Cup campaign. Smart hires overall.
V
Vikram M
Coaching appointments before a World Cup hosted by India and Sri Lanka... the subcontinent focus is clear. Radford's experience in Bangladesh and Pakistan should help him understand Asian conditions. Afghanistan could be the dark horse of the tournament. 🏆
K
Karthik V
Just hope there's good coordination between the new foreign staff and the existing team management. Sometimes too many cooks spoil the broth. But the intent is positive. All the best to the Afghan team! From an Indian fan.

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