LAHORE: Former Test captain and fast bowler Waqar Younis is all set to become Pakistan’s 4th head coach after Bob Woolmer, Geoff Lawson and Intikhab Alam.
The coveted post has never been an easy ride. The unceremonious exit of the previous three has shown this to all. Since 1995, the board has changed the coach at least 14 times with former England player Woolmer enjoying the longest stint from 2004-07 until his sudden death during the last World Cup in the West Indies. Waqar has accepted the job offered by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for a long term: until December 2011.
Waqar, who retired after the 2003 World Cup as captain after taking 373 Test and 416 one-day wickets, was the bowling and fielding coach on Pakistan’s tour to Australia. The pacer first worked with the national team as bowling coach in 2006 and 2007 before stepping down after a dispute with the board. Waqar, one of the finest pace bowlers the game has ever seen, had earlier shown his desire to be coach of the national squad on a long-term basis. Waqar said the PCB had given him a contract that runs through the 2011 World Cup. “That is fine with me. I see this job as a big challenge as Pakistan cricket has great talent and potential to deliver top results against all teams,” Waqar was quoted as saying.
The PCB Friday confirmed, ending speculations, that it had made an offer to Waqar to coach the side. “I would like Waqar to join the Pakistan team,” PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said at a press conference. It is reported that Waqar has shown some concerns over the contract that has been sent and will raise a couple of points with the board. There is likely to be further negotiation over the financial package. Some of the targets set in the contract, about what the team needs to be achieving in that timescale might also be re-calibrated. None of them, however, are thought to be significant enough to derail his desire to be coach.
Waqar is likely to be working alongside former team-mate Ijaz Ahmed, who will be the fielding coach for the side. Ijaz, who was in charge of the recent Under-19 Pakistan side that finished runners-up at the World Cup in New Zealand, was one of the best Pakistan fielders of his time and is expected to improve the lot of what must be among the world’s poorest fielding sides. Ijaz was with the side in Dubai as a batting and fielding trainer for the two Twenty20 internationals against England.
The PCB has also spoken about its plans to engage foreign coaches for consultancy stints as and when needed on Pakistan’s tours Waqar, who lives in Sydney along with his family, told media he has no issues working with a foreign consultant when required by the board. “I believe that if the board does hire a foreign coach as consultant on series to series basis it is a good opportunity for me to learn and exchange ideas. In modern day cricket you need a combination of ideas and planning to do well,” he said. Surprisingly there is still no official announcement on the fate of Intikhab Alam, the man Waqar is replacing. Intikhab still has time to run on his contract; he was appointed for two years in October 2008. The board initially said that a decision would be taken on the coaching set-up only after an inquiry committee analyzing the Australia tour completed its work and made its recommendations. But they seem to have pre-empted themselves by contacting and now offering the position, without having – publicly at least – decided on the fate of Intikhab.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) seems divided on making Waqar Younis the national team’s coach and Director General Javed Miandad has opposed the former pacer’s appointment, citing his involvement in the match-fixing scandal.
Miandad said he is surprised that the PCB had not heeded to the Justice Malik Qayyum’s report on match fixing issued 10 years ago and was giving responsibilities to those players who were fined on the basis of the report.
“Everyone knows that Justice Qayyum had recommended to the board to not give positions of responsibility to Waqar, Aaqib Javed, Wasim Akram etc in Pakistan cricket but this is what is happening,” he said.
“I don’t see the logic behind offering Waqar the coaching position because he was with the team in Australia as bowling and fielding coach and didn’t do anything notable. Plus he has not prior experience of being a full-time coach.”
Miandad said he was also surprised at the plans to have a foreign consultant with the team. “I have offered my services to the board so why waste money on a foreign consultant?” he asked.
End. | 
Health
