PCB committee starts search for new coach

The Pakistan Cricket Board chairman has given full authority to the three-member committee to choose new coach for the national team.
The authority was given to the committee here on Thursday after chairman Ijaz Butt briefed one of his close aides Intikhab Alam about the suitable merits of the new coach. The add for new coach has been put on every required place with 15 days deadline while the committee will meet on September 26 at Karachi and possibly later if required at Islamabad.
Talking to journalists here at the National Cricket Academy, Intikhab Alam said that none of the committee members would be allowed to take the job or even apply for it, leaving Zaheer Abbas’ hopes dashed who in a recent statement showed his desire to be the coach of the team. However, Zaheer denied to have shown any desire for the job and said that he was there to pick coach for the team. Col (retd) Naushad is the third member of the committee while former captain and ex PCB CEO Rameez Raja is coordinator. The committee held its first meeting at the academy and was thoroughly briefed about the PCB’s demand of qualities the new coach should have.
“We have finalised the criteria for recommending the new coach an have kept all the options open. W would look out for both local as well as foreign coach and give the name to the PCB for final appointment,” Intikhab said.
“It’s our prerogative to shortlist the coaches and give the final name to the chairman. For the purpose we can also approach the one we find suitable for the national team,” said he.
Intikhab further stated that after laying down the selection plan they called Rameez but he was busy commenting on the Pakistan and Zimbabwe match. “We have emailed him about the details of the meeting and the criteria laid out in the first assembly,” said Intikhab. Reports, however, said the committee might pick a local for the main job with a foreign consultant.
“All the talk about foreign coaches and names being mentioned in the media are mere speculation. The committee met for the first time today and decided on a method to select the new coach,” Alam said. He said the committee would have no issues recommending a foreign coach either.