“I am extremely pleased to have been selected as the head coach. My immediate aim would be to prepare the team for the upcoming busy cricket season," Younis said. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
Sethi had told The Express Tribune in an exclusive interview published on May 2 that Younis had been given a two-year contract.
According to a PCB media release, the former Test captain, who also coached the national team during the 2011 World Cup, will join the team in June.
The release stated: “A committee constituted by PCB comprising of Mr Intikhab Alam (Director Domestic Cricket Operations), Mr Haroon Rashid (Director Game Development) and Mr Moin Khan (Chief Selector) met today to review the applications received for the position of Head Coach. The Committee unanimously recommended Waqar Younis for the position of head coach which has been endorsed by Chairman PCB.”
Younis, who played 87-Tests for Pakistan in a career spanning 14 years, expressed his pleasure at the announcement.
“I am extremely pleased to have been selected as the head coach. My immediate aim would be to prepare the team for the upcoming busy cricket season including the next year’s ICC Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand,” he said.
Younis is currently in India on an assignment connected to the on-going Indian Premier League (IPL).
Before taking over as the head coach in 2010, Younis had worked as bowling coach for Pakistan on short stints.
First tenure a mixed bag
The former PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt appointed him the coach before the Asia Cup following the ignominious tour of Australia, where the Pakistan team led by Mohammad Yousuf lost all nine international matches (three Tests, five ODIs, and one T20).
After failing to make it to the finals of the Asia Cup, Pakistan embarked on a gruelling tour of England where all hell broke loose (spot fixing scandal involving Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir).
The young team did end a 16-year losing streak against Australia by beating them in a thrilling Test match in Leeds, England, though won the Test series 3-1 before winning the hotly contested ODI series 3-2.
During his tenure, Pakistan won a Test and an ODI series against New Zealand before the World Cup, in their own conditions after narrowly losing an absorbing series against South Africa in the UAE.
The men in green also made it to the semi-finals of the premier event before bowing out to eventual champions India in Mohali.
Waqar and his team squared a Test series with West Indies in the own backyard besides winning the ODI series, however he developed serious differences with captain Shahid Afridi during the tour which led to Afridi’s sacking.
Younis also left the job after the tour of Zimbabwe a few months later, citing ill-health as the reason.
The duo claim to have moved on from the clash and are hoping to deliver for the national team again, chief selector and manager Moin Khan was also reportedly in favour of Younis’s appointment as head coach and has vowed to work with the fast bowling legend for the betterment of the team.
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Completely agree with Adeel and Israr. The entire PCB regime is corrupt, especially the chairman, the so-called 'intellectual.' He is clearly playing musical chairs with these posts, so typical and disgusting. The Waqar-Misbah combo cannot work for a World cup in Australia, it will be a disaster.
Waqar is a solid coach and it's an excellent move by PCB
Great decision, nobody is a better candidate than him right now. Best wishes Mr.Waqar, pick up where you left off.
Waqar, don't waste your time, some idiot will run to the supreme court with a petition and court will reinstate Bob Woolmer as the head coach.
Dear Chairman PCB sb,
Would you like to explain what is M.Akram doing there when you appointed a fast bowler as a head coach? Also plz tell us wasn't there any one more experienced than Akram?
A simple question? What will be the rule of M. Akram after the appointment of a world class bowler as a head coach? Nepotism or something else?
Welcome Back Toecrushers!
Good move. We should now appoint a foreign fielding coach, a foreign trainer, and a foreign batting coach. They should all be working under Waqar. Best option would be to appoint Grant Flower as batting coach, Jonty Rhodes or Julien Fountain as fielding coach. I think the board should also make it clear to Moin Khan his job is to manage the team and not to interfere with Waqar's role. Also, this should make TV the next few days interesting as I am sure we will see Mohsin Hassan Khan complain and cry about being overlooked again and bash the PCB, just like he did when Moin Khan was appointed coach a few months ago. Our ex test cricketers seriously need to get other jobs, as they seem desperate to be employed by PCB to earn a living.
Waqar younis at best is a mediocre coach n i always believed that. He is only suitable as a bowling coach where his actual talents are useful bt he doesnt have a tactical mind for the modern game neither can he help the batsmen evn if his life depended upon it. Our weakness is batting and mental weakness both of which waqar cnt address. He is a poor choice. N any sound cricketing mind would agree to it. However saying all that he is a legend and one of the best fast bowlwers evr produced in the hx of the game n my respect to him, but he is nit the best of coaches.
A giant step backwards for the Greens!!! Waqar is known for his rifts and groupings both as a player and a coach. What we need is someone who can unite the team which is only possible with a foreign coach. Any Pakistani ex-player will divide the team because we just can't help it. Another gift from an incapable PCB head who should stick to his day job of mending punctures.