ISLAMABAD – Former skipper Misbah ul Haq was the top contender to be the head coach for the national team as the Mianwali-born cricketer would be applying for the post.
A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official told APP that PCB is focusing on to hire local coaches for the team and Misbah is the top preference for the job as he would be applying for the post.
“Foreign cricketers have also applied for key slots of head coach, batting coach and bowling coach, but PCB’s preference was to hire the local coaches for the team,” he said.
However, the deadline for accepting applications for coaching staff was August 26. The official further said former cricketer Mohsin Hasan Khan, Rashid Latif, Ijaz Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq were also under consideration by PCB to be given different roles.
Misbah who has already been appointed as camp-commandant of the pre-season Pakistan camp would be coming as the head coach for the national team, he said.
PCB has also named Misbah in the three-member panel to review and finalize the six provincial cricket associations’ squads to feature in the revamped domestic season starting from September 12 with the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy.
He said Misbah’s name was also circulating for the role of chief selector but former wicket-keeper and captain Rashid Latif was the front and favourite candidate for the job of the chief selector.
Rashid was also offered the role of chief selector in former chairman Najam Sethi’s tenure but he declined as he wanted to head the anti-corruption unit as well, he said.
He said the name of Mohsin Hasan Khan was being considered for the team manager. Mohsin was also heading the PCB’s cricket committee previously but resigned saying he wanted to work with the board but he does not want to head the committee.
Former cricketers Saqlain Mushtaq and Ijaz Ahmed were among top contenders to become the coach of the Under-19 cricket team and whoever assigned would get to accompany the team to the ACC Under-19 Asia Cup 2019, he said.
Pakistan team led by Rohail Nazir would feature in the U19 Asia Cup to be played in Sri Lanka from September 5 to 14 and Pakistan team is placed in Group A along with India, Afghanistan and Kuwait.
