Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has become the new head coach of the Pakistan national cricket team. He will also play the role of Chairman of selectors of the national team. Meanwhile, another former Pakistan captain and two-time former Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis has become the new bowling coach of this team.
On Wednesday (4th September), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the names of the head coach and bowling coach of the men’s national team. A five-member panel has taken this decision. Intikhab Alam, Bazid Khan, Asad Ali Khan (a member of the Board of Governors), Wasim Khan (PCB Chief Executive) and Zakir Khan (Director – International Cricket, PCB) were present in that five-member panel.
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Both Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis have earned the three-year contracts for their respective roles. The former Pakistan captain Misbah recommended Waqar Younis as the bowling coach of the national team.
Earlier, it was reported that the PCB would consider different head coaches for the red and white-ball formats. However, Misbah-ul-Haq will play the head coach role of the national team in all three formats.
Brief profiles of Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis
The 45-year-old Misbah-ul-Haq was one of the greatest batsmen and captain in Pakistan cricket history. He played 75 Tests, 162 ODIs and 39 T20Is from 2001 to 2017 where he scored 5,222 runs (average 46.62), 5,122 runs (average 43.40) and 788 runs (average 37.52) respectively. Misbah was the most successful Test captain in Pakistan history.
Meanwhile, the 47-year-old Waqar Younis was one of the greatest pacers in Pakistan cricket history. He played 87 Tests and 262 ODIs from 1989 to 2003 where he took 373 and 416 wickets respectively. Younis also had the good record as a Pakistan captain. He was the head coach of this national side in 2010-11 and 2014-2016. In the 2014-2016 tenure, Misbah was the captain of the national side. Moreover, for the Pakistan national cricket team, he also worked as a bowling coach in 2006-07 and bowling-cum-fielding coach in 2009-10.
It is an honour – new Pakistan head coach
Misbah feels that it is an honour for him to coach the Pakistan team. He has further added that it is a massive responsibility for him.
Misbah said according the PCB press release, “It is very humbling for me to join a select group of some of the very best to have coached the Pakistan national sides in the past. It is an honour and more than that, a massive responsibility as we live and breathe cricket.
“I know expectations are high, but I am absolutely ready and up for the task otherwise I would not have thrown my name in the hat for one of the most challenging and coveted roles in Pakistan cricket.”
Misbah believes that Pakistan’s dressing room culture needs to be changed along with practising the modern culture.
He added, “We have some of the most talented and exciting cricketers, and I will like to help them train and prepare in such a way that they can play intelligently, smartly and fearlessly. I am aware this will require a change in the dressing room culture but if we have to compete consistently at the highest level, we have to embrace these modern day requirements.
“We need to understand this is a performance-oriented world and only those Pakistan players have thrived in the past who have taken the pride in donning the star and crest on their chests by delivering every time they have stepped on to the field.”
Sri Lanka will tour of Pakistan for the limited-overs series that will run from 27th September to 9th October 2019. It will be the first assignment for the new head coach and the new bowling coach of the Pakistan team.
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Sri Lanka will play a three-match ODI series and three-match T20I series in this tour.