Pakistan’s batting has been the team’s open wound for years — 13 defeats in 17 Tests, collapses from winning positions, a tail that averages 9.91. In August 2026 the PCB finally gave the problem a full-time owner: Michael “Mike” Smith, the new Pakistan batting coach. This is his story, his mandate, and what success would look like.
Quick answer: Pakistan’s batting coach is Mike Smith (46, South African), appointed August 2026 on a two-year contract for red-ball and white-ball teams. A Level 4 coach with PSL experience at Islamabad United, Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans, his mission is fixing Pakistan’s chronic collapses — starting with the tour of England.
In this guide
Who Mike Smith Is
Michael Smith, 46, is a former South African first-class cricketer turned career coach. As a player (2003–2013): 89 first-class matches, 4,867 runs at 33.10, nine centuries — a grafter, not a star, which is often the better coaching pedigree. As a coach: a Level 4 qualification (the highest tier), batting-coach roles with Hobart Hurricanes and Tasmania in Australia, consultancy with South African domestic sides, and — crucially — years in the PSL with Islamabad United, Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans (assistant coach at Multan in 2026). He arrives knowing Babar Azam’s generation personally, not from a dossier.
The Mandate: Fix the Collapse
The numbers Smith inherits are grim. Pakistan have lost 13 of their last 17 Tests. The Tarouba Test against West Indies became the symbol: from 244/3, Pakistan lost their last seven first-innings wickets for 38, then were bowled out for 120 chasing 211. Since the start of 2025, the last four wickets have averaged 9.91 — worst of all Test nations — while Pakistan’s bowlers have conceded 27.02 to opposition tails. The mandate isn’t “improve batting” in the abstract; it’s three concrete fixes:
- Stop the collapses: convert 244/3 into 400, not 282.
- Fix the tail: get the last four contributing 20s and 30s — the difference between defeats and draws.
- Chase composure: fourth-innings chases like Tarouba’s 211 have become psychological quicksand.
How He’ll Work
Smith’s tools are the modern batting coach’s: video analysis of every dismissal, net sessions grooving technique against specific threats, and game-planning for conditions — England’s swinging Dukes ball on his first assignment, Sri Lanka’s spin at home in November. But his biggest job is cultural: Pakistan’s batting failures are widely seen as temperament as much as technique. Two years — the length of his contract — is the PCB’s acknowledgement that this can’t be fixed in a series. For the wider staff around him, see the complete coaching guide.
What Success Looks Like
Judge Smith in 2028, not 2026. Success would be: fewer collapses from dominant positions; the tail averaging in the mid-teens instead of under 10; competitive fourth-innings chases; and a Test win rate that climbs out of the basement — Pakistan sit last in the World Test Championship table. If the home series against Sri Lanka (November 2026) shows a team that finishes innings rather than folding them, the Smith era will have started well. For the role’s history and why it sat vacant so long, read the batting-coach role explainer.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the batting coach of Pakistan in 2026?
Michael “Mike” Smith, appointed August 2026 on a two-year contract covering all formats.
What is Mike Smith’s salary as Pakistan batting coach?
The PCB has not publicly disclosed his salary. Like most PCB coaching contracts, the financial terms are confidential.
Has Mike Smith coached Pakistan before?
Not the national team — but he has coached extensively in the PSL (Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans), so he knows Pakistan’s players well.
