Former Australian batsman Dean Jones, former England all-rounder Dermot Reeve and former Pakistan fast bowler Aaqib Javed are said to be in the list of five candidates shortlisted by the Pakistan Cricket Board for the job of chief coach. Former captain Intikhab Alam refused to divulge the names of the short listed candidates but sources revealed that Jones and Reeve were on the list. “I can’t give you the names of the people on the shortlist we have made of five candidates. But we received a total of 37 applications for the post of coach against the advertisement the PCB. These applications included 12 foreigners and 25 locals,” Alam said at a press conference. The PCB had formed a special committee headed by Alam and including former players Zaheer Abbas, Colonel (retd) Naushad Ali and Rameez Raja to help the Board find a new coach for the national team. The committee, Alam said, has short listed five candidates whose names would be given to the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt when he returns from abroad on October 1. “Butt has the authority to choose one person from the short list or even directly approach someone else from outside the list for negotiations if he is not satisfied with the list,” the former Test captain said.
Alam also negated media reports that no high profile coach had applied for the Pakistan coaching position that fell vacant after the sudden decision by Waqar Younis to resign due to personal and health reasons. Waqar stepped down as coach after leading the team to a clean sweep over Zimbabwe last month and his exit. The PCB since 1997 has changed the national team coach at least 15 times with Bob Woolmer being an exception as he died during the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies after being in charge from 2004 to 2007.
I hope PCB makes a decision, considering long period committment of a coach to invest few years to take the team to the next level and prepare a pool of top 100 players who can participate at international level in all three formats of the game. Dean Jones is a very accomplished cricketer and a successful one, too. During his time Australia was on the top in cricket as all the time Australia is at the top, due to systems installed and the game has been institutionalised at all levels. So, it continues to work for them. Regardless,Butt or Zia or Shah or Majid Khan or Rameez are the chief of PCB. But please keep Aaiqb with who so ever you select. Aaqib can have the benefit to learn more from these coaches. Good Luck.
Dean Jones was a great batsman. He played good cricket against hostile bowling. He was quick between wickets. He could instil many good traits into Pakistani batsmen. Pakistan is full of bowlers but batsman needed to change their way of playing against tough opposition.
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