Former Mumbai Ranji Trophy-winning team’s performance analyst Saurabh Walkar, 35, is gearing up for his maiden international assignment. Walkar will join the Afghanistan team in Abu Dhabi, where they will play three ODIs against Ireland, starting January 21. Former South Africa all-rounder Lance Klusener is head coach of the Afghanistan team.

Walkar’s tenure will be till the T20 World Cup scheduled to be held in India later this year. “It will be a big challenge as well as an opportunity for me as, for the first time, I will be working with a national team and that too for such a long period. But I have prepared well for it,” Walkar told mid-day.