Former Pakistan quick head coach and UAE men’s head coach Aaqib will continue to serve as a senior member of the Pakistan men’s selection committee and “will be given additional responsibilities after the conclusion” of the Trophy champions, the PCB said in a statement on Monday.
The PCB added that it will “initiate the recruitment process for a permanent white-ball head coach” with the aim of finalizing the appointment by the end of the Champions Trophy, which runs from February 19 to March 9 .
Speaking at a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium on Monday, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said: “We have temporarily asked Aaqib Javed to take over as coach until the Champions Trophy. We we don’t want to act too hastily by bringing in another coach who is not right. So during this three month gap, Aaqib will work. [in that position]. He definitely wants to work on other things, but we asked him to work for three months as head coach and after that we will see the other things he wants to do.
Aaqib continues to be part of the selection committee, which puts the PCB coaching organization in the unusual position where the interim white-ball coach has a say in selection in all formats, while the coach full-time red ball player has no say in the selection. for the Test side
“It’s only for [Aaqib to be only] white ball [coach] and only [in an] interim [capacity]. We will begin the head coach search process in the next 10-15 days so we can search and find a good head coach. »
Aaqib continues to be part of the selection committee, which puts the PCB coaching organization in an unusual position, where the interim white-ball coach has a say in selection in all formats, while the The full-time red ball coach has no say. in selection for the Test side.
The decision to entrust Aaqib with white-ball coaching duties at such a critical phase of white-ball cricket for Pakistan underlines just how rapid Aaqib’s rise has been. Until a few weeks ago, he was long-serving coach of Lahore Qalandars and director of cricket operations, where he had a mixed record; he led the team to back-to-back PSL titles, but also saw several last-place finishes, including earlier this season.
When he was made a member of the selection committee, he was seen by the PCB top brass as the mastermind behind implementing spin-friendly pitches against England to transform that series. He left his post at Qalandars to focus on the PCB, where he was initially seen as the favorite to be appointed director of the National Cricket Academy. He served as Sri Lanka’s bowling coach earlier this year, but now begins his most prestigious challenge.
The tour to Australia, where Pakistan won the ODI series but lost the T20Is, ends today, and Pakistan is then expected to play three ODIs and three T20Is in Zimbabwe (November 24 to December 5) before traveling to South Africa. In South Africa, they will first play three T20Is (December 10 to 14) then three ODIs (December 17 to 22) before the two Tests. Pakistan then play a two-Test series at home against the West Indies (January 16-28) before hosting New Zealand and South Africa in a short ODI tri-series just before the Champions Trophy.
Danyal Rasool is the Pakistan correspondent for PK Press Club. @Danny61000
