Afghanistan Reappoints John Mooney as Fielding Coach Ahead of UAE Tri-Series

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has reappointed former Ireland allrounder John Mooney as the national team’s fielding coach, marking his return to the role after a six-year hiatus. Alongside him, Nirmalan Thanabalasingam has been named the team's new physiotherapist.

Both appointments come just ahead of the upcoming T20I tri-series in the UAE, featuring Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the hosts, which kicks off on August 29. The duo has already joined the team during their training and preparation camp in Abu Dhabi. These fixtures also serve as crucial build-up to the Men’s T20 Asia Cup, set to begin on September 9.

Mooney, 43, previously served as Afghanistan’s fielding coach between 2018 and 2019 — a tenure that coincided with the team's historic Test debut in India. He also worked with the West Indies men's team in 2019 and, more recently, took on a temporary coaching role with the Ireland women’s team earlier this year.

During his playing career, Mooney represented Ireland in 64 ODIs and 27 T20Is between 2006 and 2015. A left-handed batter and right-arm medium pacer, he featured in three ODI World Cups (2007, 2011, and 2015) and two T20 World Cups (2009 and 2010). He is best remembered for striking the winning runs in Ireland’s famous victory over England during the 2011 World Cup in Bengaluru. Since retiring in 2015, he has completed Level 1, 2, and 3 coaching certifications from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Thanabalasingam brings a wealth of experience in sports physiotherapy. Since 2020, he has been associated with the Desert Vipers in the ILT20. His previous roles include high-performance and rehabilitation stints with Sri Lanka Cricket, Cricket New South Wales, Rangpur Riders (BPL), Montreal Tigers (GT20 Canada), Sydney Thunder (BBL), ICC World XI, and the West Harbour Rugby Union Club.

With the addition of Mooney and Thanabalasingam, Afghanistan will be looking to fine-tune their preparation for a packed T20 calendar, starting with the high-stakes tri-series in the UAE.