PCB Chairman says Pakistan may have interim coach for England tour
When the Pakistani cricketers board the flight for a testing tour to England, they could very well find themselves with only an interim coach. NDTV Sports reported the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hinting at a possible short-term successor to Waqar Younis for handling the national team.
While asserting that the board was still looking at both local and foreign contestants, Shaharyar Khan shed some light on the matter at the Annual General Meeting in Lahore. He revealed, “We have not finalized anyone as yet, despite speculations in the media. We can put in an interim coach for time being, so that's not a big issue.”
Khan’s views were understandably met with a not so favorable response from ex-players. Former skipper Mohammad Yousuf launched a scathing criticism on the PCB for looking at a short-term alternative.
The elegant batsman affirmed, “It makes no sense, the PCB has ample time to appoint a long term coach so why talk about an interim coach. The board must now take its time and make the right choice as Pakistan cricket can't afford any more setbacks.”
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Earlier, several reports had highlighted that Dean Jones was among the front-runners for the position. He was also involved with Islamabad United who won the inaugural Pakistan Super League title in February.
Another Australian, Tom Moody was also understood to be in the radar of Wasim Akram and Rameez Raja who have been tasked with selecting the appropriate candidate. Waqar was also not happy with the board’s decision.
In his tweet, the former coach was perplexed with the sudden change in the PCB’s thought process. However, a senior official in the organization added to the drama by claiming that the 80-year old diplomat’s statement was misunderstood.
He alleged, “What he meant was that if the process of appointing the new coach was not completed until the training camp begins in May in Abbottabad, an interim appointment can be made to oversee the camp training. But, it is decided the new coach will be with the team in England.”
Pakistan’s tour of England comprises of four Tests, seven ODIs (of which two are against Ireland) and one T20I with the first practice match beginning on July 3.