Pakistan’s coach hunt: PCB shortlists five ‘foreign and local’ candidates

Committee received 37 applications including 12 foreign and 25 local ones.

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) committee, formed to pick the country’s next cricket coach, has shortlisted five candidates from the 37 applications received following the resignation of Waqar Younis for personal reasons.

The committee, headed by former captain, manager and coach Intikhab Alam, met in Karachi yesterday to consider the names of all candidates who applied for the job after the advert was placed on the PCB’s website with September 26 being the deadline.

Former captain Zaheer Abbas and Col (retd) Naushad Ali are the other two members of the committee and were also present in the meeting. The PCB’s Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmed missed the meeting due to illness while former captain Ramiz Raja, who is assisting the committee with the massive task, was consulted over telephone from England.

Alam confirmed that the PCB’s advertisement for the job received a positive response from coaches from all over the world as well as individuals interested locally.

“We received a total of 37 entries,” Alam told reporters in Karachi after the meeting. “As many as 12 foreign coaches showed interest in the job with 22 local applicants, including former Test cricketers, also sending in their details.

“We had a comprehensive meeting after which we have shortlisted five candidates and that list includes local and foreign candidates,” added Alam before refusing to reveal details about the interested coaches.

Alam said the committee will forward its suggestion to the PCB which will then make a decision after chairman Ijaz Butt’s return to Pakistan on October 2.

Interim coach likely 

However, Alam refused to rule out the possibility of appointing an interim coach for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka.

“There is little time left for the series,” said Alam. “The process may take more time but it will be up to the board to decide on the interim coach.”

Pakistan play a full-fledged series against Sri Lanka in the UAE that will start from October 18 including three Tests, five One-Day Internationals and a one-off Twenty20.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30^th,  2011.