Pakistan Cricket Board’s chairman Zaka Ashraf has revealed that the board is close on hiring new bowling coach for the national team. The PCB chief said that the new appointment will be announced within this week.
"We will take a final decision in a day or two about the new bowling coach," Ashraf told media reporters in Lahore on Thursday.
Pakistan cricket team has been without a specialist bowling coach since February, when former pacer Aaqib Javed left the side to join the UAE cricket team as their head coach. Javed’s contract with the PCB expired at the end of February and the former Pakistan bowler decided against revising his contract.
The board has been hunting for a new bowling coach since then, and has formed a committee to invite applications from interested candidates and recommend the shortlisted candidates to the board. Former Test cricketer and national team manager, Intikhab Alam is heading the committee.
Well placed sources from inside the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have revealed that the committee has shortlisted two candidates – former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Akram and former county cricketer Ian Pont. The Englishman, who has remained bowling coach with Bangladesh, has also written a book on fast bowling.
The PCB chairman, however, remained noncommittal when asked about the details of the shortlisted candidates. Though he did opine that whoever will be appointed as bowling coach of national team would also have to train the young players at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
"We have to take into consideration the monetary issues as well as how suitable the candidate is to work with Pakistan cricket while taking a final decision," said Ashraf when asked about the best fitting option for the role. "He will be given a multitasking role and not just be restricted to the national team," he added further.
Pakistan cricket team is scheduled to play Australia in a limited overs series, in the United Arab Emirates, from August 28. If the PCB appoints a foreign bowling coach then he is unlikely to join the team in the Australia series, however he will have enough time to take up the role ahead of next month’s World T20 in Sri Lanka.
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