Hayden joins Pakistan's T20 World Cup bid

Former Australian Test opener Matthew Hayden has been recruited to Pakistan's backroom staff for the T20 World Cup.

And ex-South African fast bowler Vernon Philander will join Hayden on the coaching team in appointments announced by new Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja.

A void in Pakistan coaching set-up was created last week after head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling mentor Waqar Younis stepped down.

Abdul Razzaq and Saqlain Mushtaq will be interim coaches for a series against New Zealand.

"Hayden is Australian, I feel he can bring some aggression into the team. He has World Cup experience, he was a world-class player," Raja told reporters.

"An Australian occupying the dressing room will have a lot of benefits.

"This Pakistan team can win the World Cup, it just needs an improvement of 10 per cent."

Hayden was one of the most destructive openers of his era, forming a formidable partnership with Justin Langer, the coach of the Australian side since 2018.

Besides playing 103 Tests and 161 ODIs, Hayden also figured in nine T20Is and was a member of Australia's World Cup squad in 2007.

Raja said a head coach would be appointed to work alongside Hayden and Philander who both have limited coaching experience.

Hayden has worked mostly in the media since retiring in 2009 and he will follow Geoff Lawson and Dav Whatmore as Australians who have been part of the Pakistan coaching scene.

Philander retired from international cricket in 2020.

Pakistan open their T20 World Cup campaign in the UAE against India on October 24.

Babar Azam, ranked second behind England's Dawid Malan in world T20I batting rankings, will captain the Pakistan team.

Raja, who played more than 250 international matches for Pakistan from 1984 to 1997, replaces Ehsan Mani who stepped down from his role last month.

After his retirement, Raja became a cricket commentator. while the 59-year-old served as the PCB chief executive from 2003 to 2004.

2021 Men's T20 World Cup

Australia's squad

Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins (vc), Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa. Travelling reserves: Dan Christian, Nathan Ellis, Daniel Sams

Australia's matches

Oct 23v South Africa in Abu Dhabi (2pm local time, 9pm AEDT)

Oct 28v Qualifier A1 in Dubai (6pm local time, 1am Oct 29 AEDT)

Oct 30v England in Dubai (6pm local time, 1am Oct 31 AEDT)

Nov 4v Qualifier B2 in Dubai (2pm local time, 9pm AEDT)

Nov 6v West Indies in Abu Dhabi (2pm local time, 9pm AEDT)

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2021 ICC T20 WORLD CUP SCHEDULE

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SQUADS FOR ALL 16 TEAMS

How the teams are grouped

Round 1

Group A: Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands, Namibia

Group B: Bangladesh, Scotland, Papua New Guinea, Oman

Super 12s

Group 1: England, Australia, South Africa, West Indies, A1, B2

Group 2: India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan, B1, A2