Pakistan Cricket Board restarted its search for a head coach as Shane Watson declined the opportunity and went back to his homeland.
PCB’s communication with foreign coaches has intensified as multiple options are being looked at. No name is finalized, but the top contenders seem to be Gary Kirsten, Mike Hesson, Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden and Phil Simmons.
Kirsten managed India to the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup trophy, while Mike Hesson played an instrumental role in the New Zealand team that the spectators see today. Reportedly, Hesson has already declined the role.
Langer won the 2021 T20 World Cup as the manager of Australia, while Hayden has prior experience of managing the Pakistani team during the T20 World Cup.
Phil Simmons won the 2016 T20 World Cup with West Indies. He was appointed as Karachi Kings coach for the recently concluded ninth edition of Pakistan Super League.
Consultations are underway for the senior men’s team head coach, with hopes of a final name within a few days.
After Mohammad Hafeez’s contract ended, the PCB began contacting foreign coaches for the national team’s head coach position. According to reports, the new chairperson, Mohsin Naqvi, is preferring foreign coaches instead of local ones. With every new regime, the regime head has their preference of employing specific characters to specific positions.
Pakistani cricket supporters have seen previous heads prefer foreign coaches due to the given reason that they are unbiased and make decisions on merit.
