Batting coach: ‘PCB to shortlist candidates soon’
The PCB had advertised for the vacancy last month and set November 4 as the deadline for prospective candidates to send in applications.
According to details, about two dozen candidates from various countries including local hopefuls have applied for the post.
“The committee will assemble this week to shortlist candidates,” said the official. “It will try to finalise a batting coach before the team’s training camp for the India tour gets underway.”
Legendary batsman Zaheer Abbas, who resigned from the committee to apply for the position, is the apparent leading candidate. Other national cricketers applying for the job are Salim Malik and Asif Mujtaba.
The official refused to divulge the exact number of candidates, but said around two dozen former cricketers and coaches including contenders from Australia, South Africa and England have applied.
Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones has also shown interest in taking the job but said he can only work as a part-time coach due to his busy schedule.
The criteria set down by the PCB for eligible candidates include a Level-3 coaching course certificate. They also need to have “working experience of five years in a similar cricketing role with elite cricketers”.
However, the official said the committee is ready to overlook a few shortcomings to pave way for a former Pakistan batting legend to become coach.
Former Test great including Hanif Mohammad and former PCB chairman Ijaz Butt have backed local candidates, tipping Abbas as the best man for the position.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 5th, 2012.
COMMENTS (3)
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What this team really needs is a highly effective Shrink who can help our players overcome crucial mental hiccups which has been so glaringly evident for a number of years now. The most obvious shortcoming of our team at the moment is lack of professionalism and unless they develop nerves of steel and ice; they would continue to languish at the bottom of the pile.I think that someone like Michael Atherton would do a huge huge service for our team if he can be engaged in some capacity.
This is going to be a party spoiler. Too many cooks in the kitchen, bowling coach, fielding coach, ang now the batting coach. Can't teach an old dig new tricks, acadamies are the best place for the specialized coaching, not the national team. They national team needs a strategists and someone to help with game adjustments and help with the correction of minor flaws that may creep up time to time. Wonder what Whatmore is there for if there will be a coach for each dapartment.
Pakistan's main problem is their batting in bouncy pitch. We need foreign coach. Zaheer Abbas has no idea about modern cricket plus lack of knowledge about bouncy wicket.