Former Pakistan all-rounder Yasir Arafat is now the bowling coach of the UAE cricket team. (photo by special arrangement) NEW DELHI: Former Pakistani all-rounder Yasser Arafat is a journeyman cricketer. Be it in his playing days or now with the coaching hat on his head, he still goes to every corner of the cricket world and does his best.A month ago, Arafat was appointed as the bowling coach of the UAE national team for the 2026 FIFA T20 World Cup. The former Pakistan international completed a Level 4 coaching program with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and took up coaching full-time after retiring in 2016. He has served as the high-performance coach of the Pakistan national team and was also a bowling consultant to the South African team during the Champions Trophy last year. He also has extensive coaching experience with Surrey, Sussex and Perth Scorchers.
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The 43-year-old has been freelancing in T20 cricket long before the word became glamorous.“Was I before the T20?” Arafat tells TimesofIndia.com with a laugh. Arafat played all three formats for Pakistan and was a member of the 2009 T20 World Cup winning team under Younis Khan.“I actually played cricket consistently from a very young age, which allowed me to develop a wide range of skills early in my career. This foundation helped me adapt seamlessly to the T20 format as an all-rounder (bowling),” he says.Although Arafat remained on the sidelines for Pakistan, featuring in just three Tests, 11 ODIs and 13 T20Is, the slippery customer was a mainstay when it came to first-class cricket. Arafat played 207 first-class matches in a career that spanned two decades.
Yasser Arafat played 207 first-class matches in a career that spanned two decades. (photo by special arrangement)
“After retiring in 2016, I immediately completed my qualifications starting with ECB Level III and started coaching at Eton College, London, which I continue to do today. In addition, I started working with the Hong Kong cricket team as a bowling coach for several years. I also gained experience coaching white balls in Surrey, Sussex and Perth, later completing my Level IV qualifications with the ECB and the South Scorchers. African national cricket teams,” he says. Arafat on his impressive resume.During his playing days, Arafat made waves in the County Championship with his swing, but it was in T20s that he found fame. With 1,504 wickets across formats, the UAE coach suggests there is no ideal length of T20 cricket these days.“Look, T20 cricket is evolving every day and if you want to be successful in this format and sustain your career for a long time, you have to be very skilled and develop a wide range of variations: bowling good yorkers with different variations like wide yorkers, slower bowlers and all those kinds of skills.“There is no set length or formula for success in the T20 format, but the smarter you are with your skills, the better your chances of succeeding in this format,” he says.
There is no fixed length or formula for success in the T20 format, but the smarter you are with your skills, the better your chances of success.
Yasser Arafat
Arafat also reasons why injuries are on the rise among fast bowlers and how the modern calendar affects recovery.“Injuries are inevitable in modern cricket as the game is much more demanding now. The fitness level and fielding standards are extremely high. Fast-paced formats like T20 put extra stress on players. Since cricket is played almost all year round, there is very little time for recovery, so many players these days choose specific formats to manage their workload and avoid long-term injuries,” he says.Arafat, who has seen the game evolve through the eras, explains why players now choose formats and how the Indian Premier League (IPL) has reshaped cricket.
Yasser Arafat took 1,504 wickets across formats before becoming the coach of various teams. (photo by special arrangement)
“Yes, I played first-class cricket for about 20 years. Cricket has changed now. Earlier, Test and four-day cricket were played to define greatness. After the advent of the IPL, the T20 format has become more lucrative, which is why fast bowlers are now often referred to as format specialists. Red-ball and white-ball franchise specialists focus on the financial success of franchise balls. Ultimately, it’s a player’s choice,” he says.United Arab Emirates are placed in the group of death. Their group includes Afghanistan, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. But Arafat is happy with the pool of talent he has seen and noticed in recent weeks in the UAE setup.“We have a talented group of players in the spin and fast bowling departments. In terms of experience, many of them are still very new. The more they play, the better they will be. My only advice to them is to assess the conditions carefully, be clear about their plans and always keep an open mind to learn and improve,” he says.
