PCB likely to retain Miandad

Despite the series loss to India last month, Javed Miandad is likely to retain his job as coach of the Pakistan national team since the Pakistan Cricket Board has failed to find a suitable replacement.

After sounding a number of potential candidates, including Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore, Michael Slater and  Bob Woolmer, PCB has decided to retain Miandad, local daily 'The News' reported on Monday.

"While almost all the former Test cricketers of Pakistan are ready to accept the job, no foreigner of some standard is willing to join the national team.

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"It is not the matter of money but their commitments and reluctance to join PCB at present circumstances," the paper quoted an unnamed PCB official as saying, adding Whatmore was not keen on the assignment as he wanted to stick to the Bangladesh team.

Miandad came under fire from many former cricketers as well as Board officials after the team's dismal performance against arch rivals India and was kept on hold by the PCB even after it announced the appointment of skipper Inzamam-Ulf Haq till the end of this year.

The former Pakistan captain had expressed his resentment over keeping his appointment in balance even though his contract lasts till next year and questioned the rationale behind it.

The daily also said that the Board had requested Australian bowling coach Daryl Foster to have some sessions with the players at its National Cricket Academy in Lahore.

PCB chief executive Rameez Raja had been in touch with Foster as the Board had decided to launch the first proper training session of the NCA in June, it said.

"Rameez spoke to Foster and asked him if he could make himself available for short coaching stints at the academy and in helping up establish the department of biomechanics at the academy from June," it said.

PCB had hired the services of Foster as bowling coach for the 2001 tour of England and in the 2003 World Cup. He was also helpful in convincing the ICC about Shoaib Akhtar's bowling action twice in the past as he was working at the University of Western Australia in Perth as bowling coach at its biomechanics department.

Recently the Pakistan board had also sent Shabbir Ahmed to Australia where Foster worked on his bowling action after he was reported by a ICC match referee during the tour of New Zealand.

PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan, Rameez Raja and Inzamam-Ul Haq had also reached consensus on the hiring of a  foreign trainer for the Pakistan team before its next assignment in Malaysia, the daily said.