Aaqib Javed in contention for the next Pakistani coach position
Former Pakistani right arm medium pacer, Aaqib Javed is reportedly the frontrunner to take over Waqar Younis as the next Pakistan coach. The former currently holds the position of the coach of the UAE national cricket team which took part in the recently concluded Asia Cup in Dhaka.
Pakistan, having lost two of their three matches in the ICC T20 World Cup 2016, are on the verge of elimination from the tournament and hence are looking to refurbish their entire team. There are also a number of rumours about Shahid Afridi being stripped of his captaincy following a series of unfavourable results.
The 36-year-old Pakistani all-rounder has also admitted that Pakistan's final group stage match against Australia could be the final match of his career.
According to a number reports from Karachi, Javed's managerial stint with the UAE has left a positive impact on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) where the former player has managed to lead the middle-east team to the main rounds of the ICC T20 World Cup 2014 and the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015.
In a recent interview given to Gulf News, Aaqib Javed said, ”Right now it is only speculation, but I will be one of the candidates should there be a decision to change the coach.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board had earlier resolved to extend Waqar Younis’ contract until September 2016, but following the Pakistani team's debacle in both the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup, the decision seems a bit far fetched now.
Recently after their match with New Zealand, the Pakistani coach came into the limelight as he had lashed out at Umar Akmal for complaining to Imran Khan that he wanted to bat higher up the order.
“You must be able to adjust in T20, you have got to be adaptable. For those who were upset at not getting to bat in the positions they hoped for, this was a perfect opportunity. We were just not good enough. You can cry all you want, you can talk all you want, but we are just not good enough. People will have to take a hard look at themselves,” he told the media.
The 44-year-old legendary Pakistani fast bowler has also been previously criticised by a number of former professional cricketers courtesy his coaching style and hence, no one is really surprised with Waqar Younis almost on the verge of losing his job.