Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis step down from their coaching roles with Pakistan; Saqlain Mushtaq and Abdul Razzaq to take over
Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis have stepped down from their respective roles as head coach and bowling coach of the Pakistan men’s national cricket team.
The duo have been in office for two years now. They have decided to end their tenure with one year remaining in the contract.
Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis' decision was announced today by the media handle of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The PCB revealed the decision was communicated by the duo late Monday morning.
In a statement shared through PCB, Misbah stated that he came to the decision considering the possibility of spending considerable time away from the family in the bio-bubble.
“The quarantine in Jamaica post the West Indies series provided me with an opportunity to reflect on the past 24 months as well as the schedule for international cricket ahead. Considering that I would have had to continue to spend considerable time away from my family and that too in a bio-secure environment, I have decided to step down from the role.”
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Waqar Younis opened up that he had arrived at the decision soon after Misbah communicated his intention to give up the role.
“After Misbah shared with me his decision and future plans, it was a straightforward one for me to resign as we had walked into the roles together, had worked collectively as a pair, and now also step down together.”
The duo have stepped down at a crucial time with less than a month to go for the T20 World Cup.
Saqlain Mushtaq and Abdul Razzaq appointed interim coaches of Pakistan
PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan confirmed that Saqlain Mushtaq and Abdul Razzaq will take over the responsibilities of the side as interim coaches for Pakistan.
Saqlain Mushtaq is currently the Head of International Player Development at the National High-Performance Centre. Abdul Razzaq is currently the coach of Central Punjab in Pakistan’s domestic league. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had won trophies in all three formats during the 2020-21 season under Abdul Razzaq.
The Pakistan side is scheduled to assemble on 8 September in Islamabad for the series against the visiting New Zealand side. The series will include three ODIs and five T20Is.