Former off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq has turned down Pakistan Cricket Board’s offer to come on board as the national men’s team’s full-time head coach. He has denied a long-term gig with the side to manage his “business and personal commitments”, stated a report by The Indian Express.
Mushtaq joined the Babar Azam-led Pakistan side in the build-up to the T20 World Cup in the United Arabic Emirates on an interim basis after head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis together gave their resignation from the side following the end of the West Indies tour.
When Misbah and Waqar left in controversial circumstances, the PCB regime under new chairman Ramiz Raja appointed Mushtaq as the head of new interim support staff.
Mushtaq oversaw Pakistan’s run to the semi-final of the T20 World Cup and was also there for the tour of Bangladesh and the T20I series against the West Indies.
Impressed by his work done over the last few months, the PCB offered Mushtaq the chance to be with the side over a full-time contract. But he has reportedly denied the offer, happy to manage his other commitments at this stage.
Mushtaq is pleased to continue in his role as the coach in the High-Performance Centre in Lahore and has told the board he is available for short-term gigs at opportune times to be with the national side.
“Saqlain told the chairman that while he was happy to have contributed as interim head coach he wouldn’t be able to accept a long term and permanent assignment as head coach as he had prior business and personal commitments,”
a close to the matter was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
“Saqlain conveyed that already his business has been affected due to his absence with the Pakistan team as interim head coach,”
he added.
For the T20 World Cup, PCB also appointed Matthew Hayden and Vernon Philander as the interim batting and bowling coaches to be with the side. But with their respective deals ending, the board now has to put forward fresh advertisements for the entire support staff.
The PCB has already taken a step in this regard, with advertisements made for batting coach, bowling coach, fielding coach, power-hitting coach, and high-performance coach.
