Former Test cricketers Dayle Hadlee and Mudassar Nazar have been appointed as coaches at the ICC Global Cricket Academy (GCA), based at Dubai Sports City. Both coaches will relocate to Dubai to take up their positions in early 2009. Hadlee arrives from New Zealand Cricket (NZC) where he has been working as head bowling coach, and previously head coach of the NZC academy, while Mudassar was the director of game development for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The pair will work alongside the GCA's director of coaching Rod Marsh to help train and develop the best talent in world cricket. They will also work with international teams and local players to improve the standard of the sport across the United Arab Emirates. The three coaches will design and implement specific elite programs, provide coaching education courses and support grass-roots development to make the GCA a center of excellence, innovation and education for world cricket. “Dayle and Mudassar are two of the best academy coaches in the world,” said Marsh. “I can't wait to start working with them in order to develop programs that will help to improve cricket globally. We will have a great balance of coaching skills to offer every cricketer who comes to Dubai Sports City,” he said. Hadlee played 26 Test matches and 11 One-Day Internationals for New Zealand. He then moved into coaching and became one of the most respected academy and fast-bowling coaches in the game. Mudassar scored more than 4,000 runs and took 66 wickets during his Test match career for Pakistan that included a stint as vice captain. More recently he has been working at the PCB's National Cricket Academy. The GCA will be an important focal point for international cricketing excellence and education. Situated in Dubai Sports City, the academy will provide a unique environment for coaching, game education and training in outstanding facilities with some of the game's best coaches. The GCA will also afford the opportunity to players, coaches, umpires, curators and administrators from across the ICC's 104 members to benefit from programs and courses, creating a vibrant and integrated cricket community. __
