Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has appointed two important members of its coaching and support staff. Ireland's former all-rounder John Mooney has been recruited as the new fielding coach, while Nirmalan Thanabalasingam is the newly appointed physiotherapist. Both have already begun working with the Afghan players in their current training camp in Abu Dhabi, in preparation for the upcoming T20I tri-series in the UAE from August 29. The team is also gearing up for the Men's T20 Asia Cup, starting September 9. Mooney Returns to Afghanistan Setup This is not the first time Mooney has worked with Afghanistan. He has worked as their fielding coach from 2018 to 2019, when Afghanistan made their Test debut against India. Mooney has also gained international exposure working with other nations, including the West Indies men's team in 2019. He was recently a short-term coach for the Ireland women's cricket team earlier this year. In his role as a player, Mooney was a left-hand batter and right-arm medium-pacer. He played for Ireland in 64 ODIs and 27 T20Is from 2006 to 2015. His playing years saw him feature in three ODI World Cups (2007, 2011, 2015) and two T20 World Cups (2009, 2010). Also Read | Watch: Haris Rauf Sends Bold Warning to India Ahead of Asia Cup 2025 Among his best memories was being part of the winning runs when Ireland defeated England in the 2011 World Cup at Bengaluru. Upon retiring in 2015, Mooney acquired his ECB Level 1, 2, and 3 certificates of coaching, having established himself as a renowned coach of international cricket. Seasoned Physio Joins the Ranks In addition to Mooney, Afghanistan has recruited Nirmalan Thanabalasingam as their physiotherapist. He has been with the Desert Vipers of the ILT20 since 2020 and comes with a lot of experience, having worked as a high-performance training and rehabilitation manager for Sri Lanka Cricket from 2017-2018. Thanabalasingam has also had experience with Cricket New South Wales, Rangpur Riders (BPL), Montreal Tigers (GT20 Canada), ICC World XI, Sydney Thunder (BBL), and even rugby sides such as West Harbour Rugby Union Club. His varied experience makes him a sought-after recruit as Afghanistan gears up for two big competitions. Afghan players are now undergoing training in Abu Dhabi to hone their game and physical fitness to take on a hectic cricketing calendar.