Mohammad Akram resigns as NCA head coach

Akram says he has resigned to be around his family in England; resignation is yet to be accepted

National Cricket Academy head coach Mohammad Akram resigned from his post on Saturday, three months prior to the expiration of his contract.

The resignation is yet to be accepted but the former Test cricketer is committed to quitting the full-time job to be around his family in England, according to ESPN Cric Info.

“I have resigned with no regret. I have enjoyed every moment working with Pakistan cricket. I have done a lot to the best of my ability and I see the players have now started to bloom. I worked so hard to get the system going and the results of my efforts is quite evident. I am leaving the set-up in safe hands,” the website quoted the head coach as saying.



The 41-year-old veteran cricketer had joined the set-up as bowling coach three years ago and since then worked in various capacities, including selector, head of illegal bowling committee, coach of Pakistan A team, and is the man responsible for imposing the fitness clause on Pakistan cricket. Akram revived youth and A team tours to other countries.

The former test cricketer said he had been thinking about resigning for many months as his family is based in England while he was based in Lahore at the National Cricket Academy.

“I am a family man but with this job from 9 to 5 in Lahore, living away form family, it isn't working for me. Earlier, when I was a bowling coach, I still had a time to visit my family frequently, but since I shifted to an in-house job I was not able to make it. I came here to contribute to cricket but at the same time my family is much more important,” he said.

Further, the head coach is also currently under immense pressure over his part-time job as an analyst with the host broadcaster during the ongoing Pakistan-England Test series in the United Arab Emirates.

Although the former test cricketer was given all the due permissions from relevant Pakistan Cricket Board authorities, including media director Amjad Hussain and NCA director Aizad Hussain Syed, but the media questioned his job.



“I am not bothered at all about any undue criticism because I am here with permission,” he said. “Back home at NCA, I didn’t have much to do as head coach as these are the idle months. I am not stepping down due to criticism but the main thing taken precedence in my resigning is just my family as I want to reconnect with my kids and my family back in England.

This article originally appeared on ESPNcricinfo.