Umar Gul, the former Pakistan bowler, is about to step up as the bowling coach for Bangladesh’s cricket team. He’s set to kick things off with their tour to Pakistan in May, where they’ll play five T20 matches. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has put a 30-month contract on the table for the 42-year-old bowler. They’re hoping he can help develop a fresh batch of fast bowlers who can handle the pressures of international cricket.
Gul spoke to Telecom Asia Sport about the opportunity and mentioned that they’re still working out some of the finer points of the contract. He sounds pretty excited about the whole thing, saying, “It’s an exciting offer and I look forward to it.
During his playing days, Gul was quite the bowler, racking up impressive numbers with 163 wickets in Test matches, 179 in ODIs, and 85 in T20s. Remember that memorable T20 World Cup in 2009? Gul played a huge part in it and even took five wickets during the semifinal against New Zealand, helping Pakistan clinch the title.
Before this coaching gig, he’s had some experience with coaching in the past, including stints with the Afghan cricket team and the Pakistan national team. He’s also been involved with the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League, serving as their bowling coach.
Bangladesh has some promising fast bowlers in their line-up. One of the standout talents is Naheed Rana, known for consistently bowling at around 150 KPH. Gul’s expertise will work wonders for players like Hasan Mahmud, Tanzim Hasan Shakib, Mustafiz-ur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, and Khalid Hasan. Last year, Hasan and Nahid led the charge for Bangladesh’s bowling attack, helping them secure a 2-0 whitewash against the home team in Pakistan.
With their tour of Pakistan coming up soon, it’s interesting to see Gul possibly coaching against his home country. However, this news hasn’t been met with cheers in Pakistan cricket. Given the recent struggles of the national team in white-ball cricket, it has raised some eyebrows. Pakistan had a rough time in the 2025 T20 World Cup, failing to win any matches in the 2025 Champions Trophy, and lost to New Zealand in the T20I series 1-4 and were shut out 0-3 in the ODIs. This has led to some chatter among fans and experts, feeling that as Pakistan’s bowlers face difficulties due to a lack of proper guidance, their talent is now being taken up by other teams. On another note, former leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed is currently making a name for himself as a spin coach for the Bangladesh team. It’ll be interesting to see how this all unfolds during the series!
