India, Aug. 4 -- The Pakistan Cricket Board has appointed former South African domestic cricketer Michael Smith as the new batting coach for the men's national side. The 46-year-old has signed a two-year contract, locking him into the post across Test, One Day International, and T20 International formats.

Smith's tenure will begin ahead of Pakistan's upcoming three-match Test series against England starting August 19. The arrival of a specialist batting coach has been long overdue. National selector Asad Shafiq had been filling that position temporarily alongside full-time bowling coach Umar Gul. Fixing a fragile batting lineup will be his immediate mandate.

Pakistan's red-ball record in recent seasons paints a grim picture, with 13 los...