PCB hits back at ‘unprofessional’ Waqar

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday decided to hit back at Waqar Younis following his resignation as the national team’s bowling coach saying that the former Test cricketer lacked professionalism.
“Waqar has behaved in an unprofessional manner and has resigned as Pakistan’s bowling coach in a burst of anger. The PCB has accepted his resignation,” said PCB’s Director Communications Dr Ahsan Malik.
Waqar, 35, announced on Saturday that he has decided to quit as Pakistan’s bowling coach because of alleged mistreatment by the PCB.
His decision to resign came just hours before his scheduled flight for South Africa where the Pakistan team is currently preparing for a three-match Test series starting at Centurion from January 11.
Waqar claimed that the PCB showed him disrespect by not including him in the team management for the one-day series against South Africa to be held next month.
“I was told that my services were needed by the Pakistan team for just the Test matches and they didn’t require me for the one-dayers. I don’t think I deserved such shabby treatment and decided against continuing as the team’s bowling coach,” said Waqar.
However, Ahsan refuted Waqar’s allegations that the PCB mistreated him saying that the former Pakistan captain lacked professionalism and discipline.
The PCB official told ‘The News’ in a telephonic interview that Waqar went on an unauthorised leave just before Pakistan’s tour of South Africa and later threw unnecessary tantrums.
“Waqar went on an unauthorised leave which was against the terms of the contract he had signed with the PCB. That shows his unprofessional approach towards an important job,” he said.
Waqar had gone to perform Hajj late last month with star Pakistani batsman Mohammad Yousuf and a few other cricketers. He just returned home on Saturday.
Ahsan said that the decision to exclude Waqar from the one-day series against South Africa was taken by the PCB with the consent of the national team management.
“According to the contract signed by Waqar, the PCB has the right to include him in the team management whenever his services are required,” he said.
Ahsan said that on the basis of his previous performance as a bowling coach, the PCB assessed that Waqar’s contribution in one-dayers was far from substantial. “The PCB prepares performance reports of all of their coaching staff and according to one of those assessments, Waqar had contributed very little as far as one-dayers were concerned,” he revealed.
He added that in spite of it, the PCB was prepared to honour Waqar’s contract which was till the end of April.
Waqar, who played 87 Tests and 262 one-dayers for Pakistan was appointed Pakistan’s bowling coach in 2006 for a one-year period till this spring’s World Cup in the West Indies.
It is expected that Waqar, who took 373 Test wickets and 416 scalps in one-dayers might sign a contract to coach leading Australian regional team New South Wales (NSW).

Waqar resigns as bowling coach

Waqar Younis has resigned from his position as bowling coach of the Pakistan side with immediate effect, days before the start of an important three-Test and five-ODI series against South Africa.

Waqar returned from performing Hajj in Saudi Arabia to Lahore and told Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, of his decision. Appointed to the position in March last year, before Pakistan's tour to Sri Lanka, he is thought to be unhappy with the PCB's decision to retain him only for the Test series against South Africa and not the subsequent series of five ODIs.

Speaking to local TV channels, he criticised the board. "If I am not needed for the ODIs then I don't want to do the job. The board doesn't look respect its ex-players properly."

A PCB official confirmed the news, telling Cricinfo, "Waqar spoke to the chairman and told him he wanted to be appointed for the full tour." He added, "He offered to resign if he wasn't retained for the whole series and the chairman accepted." Another official made the ambiguous assertion to TV channels that this was a decision for the team management and the board could not get involved.

Whether or not the reappointment of Mushtaq Ahmed, the former Pakistan legspinner, as assistant coach to Bob Woolmer is a factor is open to question. Last week, Mushtaq was reinstated for the entire tour to South Africa as well as the World Cup shortly after, barely three months after Nasim Ashraf removed him, days before the Champions Trophy.

Waqar also expressed, as recently as September, an interest in a coaching position at New South Wales, Australia. The interest appears mutual, as Dave Gilbert, NSW's chief executive, has already said that he wants Waqar to replace Anthony Stuart, who has left to take charge of Wellington in New Zealand.

Waqar responded at the time, "It would be great to work full-time in NSW. I am very much interested in the job. When I finish my contract with Pakistan I will speak to David [Gilbert]." That scenario would be an attractive one for Waqar, as it would provide him the opportunity to return to Australia, where he is otherwise based with his family.

Speculation will almost certainly filter through over the next few days, but it is worth noting that the first time the PCB officially considered appointing Waqar as bowling coach, there also resulted considerable friction. Nearly two years ago as Pakistan prepared to tour India, Waqar was in negotiations with the board for the job. But it ended in considerable acrimony, Waqar walking away disgruntled at not being offered the long-term role he envisioned, the PCB instead insisting on a series appointment only.

Waqar, 35, is one of Pakistan's most successful bowlers ever, famed for reverse swing and his partnership with Wasim Akram, and one of the prime reasons for Pakistan's success during the nineties. With 789 international wickets, Waqar is second only to Akram as Pakistan's leading all-time wicket-taker in Tests and ODIs. He was a less successful captain, overseeing a shambolic 3-0 series defeat to Australia in 2002-03 and a disastrous 2003 World Cup campaign. He was removed immediately after and announced his retirement in 2004.
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