KUALA LUMPUR: Former international Suresh Navaratnam has been appointed as the new head coach of the national men's cricket team.
The former national captain replaced Pakistan coach Bilal Asad, whose contract was not extended on Nov 30.
The national players were unhappy as they were not consulted when the Malaysian Cricket Association (MCA) decided not to extend Bilal's contract.
During Bilal's tenure, the team made significant strides, climbing from No. 39 to an impressive No. 25 in the world rankings.
Suresh brings a wealth of experience to his new position.
His first challenge will be the ICC Men's Challenge League scheduled for February.
Having previously served as the MCA operations and administration manager (1999-2002) and the Kinrara Cricket Academy operations and manager (2004-2008), Suresh also took on the role of caretaker coach from September 2007 to April 2008.
"The head coach plays a pivotal role between the players and the association," said Suresh.
"The future is bright for Malaysian cricket, but we cannot rest on our previous success. We are building on a strong foundation, but there is more work to be done."
MCA president Iqbal Ali Kassim Ali said: "Suresh's immediate task is the men's Challenge League.
"We hope Suresh's existing relationship with many of the national players will help in the transition.
"He has contributed to cricket, and now it is the time for him to step up again in this key leadership position."