Pakistan team may have interim coaching staff for NZ series

PCB pursuit of foreign coach hits snags as Sammy and Watson decline offers

Pakistan team may have interim coaching staff for NZ series

Asher Butt

Pakistan's quest for a foreign cricket coach has encountered setbacks, with former West Indian captain Darren Sammy and Australian allrounder Shane Watson opting out of contention for the head coach position of the national team.

With the refusal of Sammy and Watson, Pakistan right now is left with an only option to glue in an interim local coaches set up and look for an imported team for the following series and the World Cup.

Sammy declined approaches from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), citing his existing contract with the West Indies board as the head coach of the WI white-ball teams. On the other hand, Watson returned home on Saturday night after rejecting the offer extended by the Pakistan board.

According to a well-informed source familiar with the developments, senior PCB officials engaged in detailed discussions with Watson in Karachi during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches, offering him the head coach role. Initially, Watson expressed interest and outlined certain financial and other conditions for accepting the offer.

"However, after the PCB more or less agreed to Watson's financial demands, the Australian cricketer was displeased with the leakage of details regarding the proposed package in the Pakistani media and social media," revealed the source.

Consequently, Watson politely declined the offer, emphasizing his prior commitments as a commentator in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the major USA league, along with the desire to spend more time with his young family in Sydney.

Reportedly, the PCB had agreed to a substantial annual fee of USD 2 million for Watson's coaching services. With both Sammy and Watson out of contention, the PCB is now expected to consider an interim arrangement for the national team's supervision during the training camp in Kakul from March 25 to April 8, preceding the home five-match T20 series against New Zealand starting from April 14 in Lahore and Rawalpindi.

"The only available option for the PCB at this point is to assemble a team of local coaches for the interim arrangement during the camp and the NZ series," stated the source, highlighting the impending decision for PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi after the conclusion of the PSL final on March 18.

As Pakistan grapples with the challenge of securing a foreign cricket coach, uncertainties loom over the coaching setup for the national team in the upcoming series.