The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is in search of a new coach for the national squad following the humiliating drubbing Down Under, and speculations are rife that former Australian batsman and India coach Greg Chappell is likely to replace Intikhab Alam.
According to PCB insiders, given the team’s pathetic performance in the recent past and increasing indiscipline, Chappell has emerged as the frontrunner for the post due to his high credentials as a tough taskmaster.
However, there has been no official word from the PCB regarding appointing a foreign coach, but Chief Operating Officer (COO) Wasim Bari has made it clear that the board has kept its options open.
Bari said that the PCB is open to all options, including the appointment of a foreign coach “if necessary.”
“It’s all about finding the right coach. He could be from Pakistan or abroad. Personally, I believe that our team is capable of doing better. What we lack at the moment is in-depth planning. We just want to win on talent alone and you can’t get consistent results with such an approach,” Bari said.
Chappell is also keen to join the Pakistan team as coach before the England tour in July, The Dawn reported.
Chappell had been India’s coach from 2005-2007, but his widely reported clashes with senior players, including the then skipper Sourav Ganguly, and Team India’s first round departure from the 2007 World Cup forced him to quit the job.
Pakistan has had foreign coaches in the past too such as (late) Bob Woolmer and Geoff Lawson, however, they too had failed to revive the team’s sagging performance in the past.
