Saqlain Mushtaq Denies Offer To Become Pakistan's Head Coach, Bats For Foreign Coaches

Former Pakistan cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq has denied Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) offer to become the head coach of the national team. In the process, he has batted for the appointment of foreign coaches for the position. Mushtaq took over as the interim coach of the national side in September last year after Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis announced their decision to step down.

Saqlain Mushtaq also travelled with the team to the UAE during the T20 World Cup. The PCB had appointed Matthew Hayden and Vernon Philander as batting and bowling coaches respectively for the tournament. The Men in Green reached the semi-finals of the tournament losing out to Australia.

Saqlain Mushtaq Said He Was Happy To Continue As Interim Head: PCB Official

The PCB had asked Mushtaq to become the head coach of the national side. The former spinner was working as the coach at the High-Performance Centre in Lahore and remained committed to his job. Talking to PCB chief Ramiz Raja, he denied the offer saying that he had prior business and personal commitments.

“Saqlain told the chairman that while he was happy to have contributed as interim head coach he wouldn’t be able to accept a long term and permanent assignment as head coach as he had prior business and personal commitments,” a PCB source said as quoted by The Indian Express.

“Saqlain conveyed that already his business has been affected due to his absence with the Pakistan team as interim head coach,” the source further added.

Meanwhile, in a meeting with the PCB, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam expressed his interest in foreign coaches being hired for specific roles. Pakistan’s success in the T20 World Cup was evident of how both Hayden and Philander brought out the best from the players in the tournament. Mushtaq also backed his captain’s words in the meeting.

Currently, the PCB is hiring for a few specific roles and looking for the best from the cricketing world to take up responsibility. They are on the lookout for a batting coach, bowling coach, fielding coach, power-hitting coach, and high-performance coach. The power-hitting coach was one of PCB’s new working profiles.

Also Read: West Bengal Sports Minister Manoj Tiwary Named In Bengal’s 21-Member Ranji Trophy Squad