PCB appoints Misbah-ul-Haq head coach and chief selector
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has named former captain Misbah-ul-Haq as Pakistan men’s national team head coach as well as chief selector in all three formats on a three-year contract.
“In line with the PCB’s commitment to ensure transparency, accountability and role clarity at all levels, Misbah has also been named as the Chairman of Selectors with head coaches of the six first-class Cricket Association sides as his fellow selectors,” confirmed the national cricket board.
Misbah was a unanimous choice of a five-member panel that comprised Intikhab Alam, former captain and the longest serving Pakistan team manager and coach, Bazid Khan, former international cricketer and one of the most respected commentators, Asad Ali Khan, member, Board of Governors, Wasim Khan, PCB Chief Executive Officer, and Zakir Khan, Director – International Cricket, PCB, following a robust recruitment process.
On the recommendation of Misbah, the PCB also named two-time former head coach and ICC Cricket Hall of Famer Waqar Younis as bowling coach of the national side on a three-year contract.
Both the national team appointments were approved by the PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani.
The first assignment of Misbah-Waqar combination will be the upcoming three ODI and three T20I home series against Sri Lanka, which will be played from September 27 to October 9. The duo’s first series in the World Test Championship will be in Australia when Pakistan will play in Brisbane (21-25 November), followed by a day/night Test in Adelaide (29 November-3 December).
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Misbah and Waqar have previously worked as a pair from May 2014 to April 2016 with the former as captain and the latter as head coach.
The 45-year-old Misbah, who retired from international cricket in May 2017, said: “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.
“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.”
Misbah-ul-Haq as a player:
- In ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen, his peak position was sixth in October 2013
- In ICC Player Rankings for ODI Batsmen, his peak position was seventh in July 2013
- In ICC Player Rankings for T20I Batsmen, he reached number-one in April 2008, and stayed there for 313 days
- Struck the fastest half-century in Test history off just 21 balls against Australia in Abu Dhabi in 2014
- Equalled the then fastest Test century world record by reaching his century from just 56 balls in the same innings
- Only player to make three scores of 99 in Test cricket
- Scored most ODI runs without a century (5,122), hitting 42 half-centuries in the process
- Played in three ICC T20 World Cups and was part of the 2009 victorious team
- Played in the ICC Cricket World Cups 2011 and 2015, scoring a total of 598 runs at an average of 49.83
