LAHORE: Australia-based David Hemp has been appointed as the head coach of the Pakistan women’s national cricket team, according to a press release issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday.

Hemp, who turns 50 next week, has previously coached the Melbourne Stars’ and Victorian women’s cricket teams in Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League between 2015 and 2020, and is also a former Bermuda and Glamorgan captain.

Hemp played 271 first-class matches and scored over 15,000 runs for Glamorgan, Free State and Warwickshire. He also represented Bermuda in 22 one-day internationals from 2006 to 2009, scoring 641 runs with a century and four half-centuries.

Hemp is a qualified UK level four coach who has had a coaching role with Australia’s team for cricketers with an intellectual disability called ‘Premier Cricket’s Prahran’ and was the director of coaching at Scotch College.

Urooj Mumtaz, Acting Head of Pakistan Women’s Wing and chairperson women’s selection committee, said: “The PCB is pleased to have appointed David Hemp as Pakistan national women’s team head coach. David brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge, more importantly around women’s cricket development, which is extremely critical to our strategy as part of our endeavour to increase the pool of cricketers and also help them rise to the top level.

Hemp takes over from Iqbal Imam who had succeeded Mark Coles. Pakistan will feature in the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier next year for the event proper that will take place in New Zealand in 2022.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2020