Afghanistan decide not to extend Moles' tenure

The Afghanistan Cricket Board has decided not to extend Andy Moles' tenure as coach of the national side. Moles, the former New Zealand coach, was appointed in September 2014 and his one-year contract expired after the World T20 Qualifier which was held in July in Ireland and Scotland.

Officials of the Afghanistan Cricket Board said the decision to not extend the contract was taken due to internal reasons, keeping in mind the growing technical needs of the team. Shafiqullah Asmat Stanikzai, the CEO of the board, said that communication between the team and Moles had been a challenge during the tenure but also praised Moles for overcoming it and leaving a strong legacy with the team.

"I wouldn't say the communication was that big a problem but the understanding between the team and the coach was a bit lacking. But it does not mean that he was not a good coach," Stanikzai told ESPNcricinfo. "He left a real good legacy with Afghanistan cricket and the national team has learnt a lot from him, especially the importance of planning, which was missing from our team. And he helped each and every individual understand how important planning is and how it impacts the game if it is implemented properly."

Moles had replaced Kabir Khan as coach a few months after he had taken up the role of batting coach with the side. During his tenure, Afghanistan made their first appearance at the World Cup, finishing sixth out of seven teams in Group A. They finished third in their group in the World T20 Qualifier and booked their place in next year's World T20 with a win over Papua New Guinea.

Moles, a former Warwickshire batsman, has had a diverse coaching career since his retirement as a player in 1997. Apart from the New Zealand national side, he also worked with the domestic side Northern Districts. In 2005, Moles coached Scotland to the ICC Trophy title, helping them qualify for the 2007 World Cup. He also had a brief coaching stint with Kenya.