Batting gets the headlines, bowling gets the highlights — but fielding wins the tight games. Pakistan’s specialist for that department is Mansoor Amjad, the national team’s fielding coach. Here’s what the role involves and why it matters more than most fans think.
Quick answer: Pakistan’s fielding coach is Mansoor Amjad, named in the PCB’s team management for the Sri Lanka T20I series and ODI tri-series in October 2026. He oversees catching, ground fielding, throwing and fitness-for-fielding standards across the squad, working under head coach Mike Hesson alongside batting coach Mike Smith and bowling coach Shaun Tait.
In this guide
Who Mansoor Amjad Is
Mansoor Amjad is a former Pakistani first-class cricketer turned specialist coach. The PCB named him fielding coach in the team management for the home series against Sri Lanka and the ODI tri-series in October 2026 — part of Mike Hesson’s support staff rebuild that also brought in Mike Smith (batting) and Shaun Tait (bowling). Like Smith, Amjad’s brief spans formats: T20Is, ODIs and Tests.
What a Fielding Coach Does
- Catching: high balls, slip cordons, close-in catching — drilled daily, because drops lose matches.
- Ground fielding: stopping, sliding, backing up — the unglamorous metres that save 15–20 runs an innings.
- Throwing: accuracy and arm strength for run-outs and boundary saves.
- Positioning: working with the captain and analysts on field placements for each batter and bowler.
- Standards: fitness benchmarks for fielding — the modern game has no hiding places, and the coach enforces that.
Pakistan’s Fielding Problem
Pakistan’s fielding has been a running joke and a genuine weakness for decades — brilliant individual efforts surrounded by dropped catches and misfields at the worst moments. The numbers are hard to quantify but the pattern is familiar to every fan: a bowler creates a chance, the catch goes down, the batter makes a hundred. A dedicated fielding coach is the structural answer: daily standards, accountability, and selection pressure — players who can’t field to the required level don’t play. Under Hesson’s rebuild, fielding is treated as a selection criterion, not a bonus. Whether Amjad can shift a decades-old culture is one of the quiet subplots of Pakistan’s 2026–27 cycle — less visible than Smith’s batting repair job, but potentially just as decisive in close games. For the full staff picture, see our complete coaching guide.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the fielding coach of the Pakistan cricket team?
Mansoor Amjad, appointed to Mike Hesson’s support staff for the 2026 home season (Sri Lanka series and ODI tri-series).
What does a fielding coach do in cricket?
Oversees catching, ground fielding, throwing accuracy, field placements and fielding-fitness standards across the squad.
Why does Pakistan need a specialist fielding coach?
Fielding has long been Pakistan’s weakest discipline — dropped catches at key moments have cost matches for decades. A specialist brings daily standards and accountability.
