LAHORE – Renowned former Pakistani cricketer and spin maestro, Saqlain Mushtaq, has assumed the roles of spin bowl­ing Coach and team mentor for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) cham­pions, Multan Sultans, as announced by the franchise on Saturday. 

Saqlain, who previously held the position of head coach for the Paki­stan national cricket team, brings his wealth of knowledge and ex­pertise to the Multan Sultans. The franchise expressed their enthusi­asm, saying, “The legendary spinner and former Pakistan Head Coach @ Saqlain_Mushtaq is all set to join the Multan Sultans family as Spin Bowl­ing Coach and Team Mentor!” 

As a former player, Saqlain made a significant impact, represent­ing Pakistan in 218 international matches across both Test and ODI formats, amassing an impressive to­tal of 496 wickets, etching his name in the annals of cricket history. 

In a dual appointment, Sultans also introduced Alex Hartley, a for­mer English international cricketer and World Cup champion, as the as­sistant Spin Bowling Coach. Hartley, alongside Saqlain, will jointly over­see the spin department of the 2021 PSL champions, Multan Sultans. 

Furthermore, the franchise has also made history by appointing Catherine Dalton as the fast-bowl­ing coach for Multan Sultans. At the age of 30, Dalton holds the distinc­tion of being the first female coach in PSL history, and notably, the first female fast-bowling coach for a prominent men’s team. 

Originally from England and ob­taining Irish citizenship in 2015, Dalton has a rich cricket background, having represented Ireland in four ODIs and four T20Is. Her previous visits to Pakistan and work with sev­eral fast bowlers, including Moham­mad Ilyas, Sameen Gul, and Arshad Iqbal, as well as nurturing Under-19 players, underscore her experience and dedication to the sport. 

An ECB-certified Level 3 Ad­vanced Coach, Dalton has previ­ously held coaching roles at the na­tional fast-bowling academy in the United Kingdom and the Ultimate Pace Foundation in India.