Kabul, Feb 12 (IANS): The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced the appointment of Nicholas Lee as the new strength and conditioning trainer for the men’s national team. Lee is set to join the team on February 23, ahead of Afghanistan’s upcoming all-format home series against Ireland.

The position was previously held by Jason Douglas, who worked with the team from June 2014 to December 2023. Lee was most recently the Head of Physical Performance for the Bangladesh Cricket Board, a role which he held since March 2020. Before that, he worked with the Sri Lanka men’s team as their Strength & Conditioning Trainer, from October 2016 to February 2020.

Before working with international teams, Lee was the Head of Strength and Conditioning of Sussex County Cricket Club for whom he had also served in the capacities of Academy Strength and Conditioning Coach and Interim Head of Science and Medicine, from March 2012 to September 2016.

Lee was a former right-hand batter for Kent in the England County cricket circuit, playing 13 matches in his first-class career, scoring 490 runs at an average of 30.62, including three half-centuries. He holds a BSc (Hons) degree in Sports Science from Anglia Ruskin University (Cambridge) and is a Level II Certified Coach from the England Cricket Board (ECB).

Lee has been an accredited member of the UK’s Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA) since 2013. In addition, he also holds a Level 1 Anthropologist Certificate from ISAK and has completed a First Aid course from Pro Trainings in the UK. After ending their ongoing tour of Sri Lanka, Afghanistan will host Ireland in the UAE for a one-off Test match to happen from February 28 to March 3 in Abu Dhabi.

It will be followed by three ODIs and as many T20Is at Sharjah from March 7-18, as both Afghanistan and Ireland aim to build up towards the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, set to take place in the West Indies and the USA from June 1-29.