New Delhi: Senior selector Aaqib Javed and former off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq are being considered to become Pakistan’s white-ball coach to replace Gary Kirsten, who left due to differences with the country’s cricket board.
South African Kirsten resigned as he was stripped of selection powers with the Pakistan Cricket Board asking red-ball coach Jason Gillespie to take charge of the white-ball teams too.
Gillespie will coach the team during the white-ball series in Australia from November 4 though the former Australia opener has informed the Pakistan Cricket Board that he would views it as a one-off arrangement.
“The problem is both Kirsten and Gillispie were not happy with their sudden demotion in powers with the selectors given powers to call all the shots,” a PCB source told PTI.
Like Kirsten, Gillespie was also stripped of selection powers that didn;t go down well with the foreign coaches.
“The situation now is that the PCB has to appoint a new white ball coach given the number of white ball commitments of the national team coming up and leading up to the Champions Trophy early next year,” the source added.
“One option is to let assistant coach Azhar Mahmood continue as interim head coach but Aaqib or Saqlain could also land the job.”
Former off-spinner Saqlain has served as the head coach earlier but made way for Mickey Arthur in the first half of last year when the PCB was headed by Najam Sethi.
The PCB had changed the selection committee after Mohsin Naqvi came into power and felt Kirsten never settled mentally on the job as he was absent from domestic events.
“Look we had high hopes from Kirsten when we entered into a two-year contract with him. The idea was he could help the PCB to revolutionize the white ball team,” another PCB source told PTI.
“He did not have a single camp in Pakistan for any of the white ball teams. He was not present at the white ball camps of the Shaheens throughout the summer. And it all culminated with him missing the majority of the Champions Cup.”
