Pakistani fast bowling great – Waqar Younis has been named as Head Coach by the Bangladesh Premier League franchise – Sylhet Sixers for the next two editions of the T20 tournament.

With the latest development, former Pakistan captain and coach is all set to replace Jafrul Ehsan. However,  Sixers has hinted that Ehsan will still be a part of the team management.

Speaking to Cricbuzz, Sylhet Sixers chief executive Yasir Obaid said, “I think having someone like Waqar in our team as the head coach is a dream comes true. We feel that in these kinds of tournaments, a mixture of foreign and local coaches in the team management is essential as a reputed foreign coach can have the foresight to address many issues that our local coaches might ignore.”

He further said of Younis, who was previously associated with the franchise as their brand ambassador and mentor, “The arrival of [Daniel] Vettori and the participation of the coaches such as Tom Moody and Mahela Jawayardene suggest that high profile coaches certainly have a huge influence in shaping the team. The amount of experience Waqar possess is unbelievable and we are keen to utilize it to the fullest.”

The chief executive also revealed that the franchise has decided to open the academy in Sylhet to nurture local cricketers while ‘Waqar will be heading that academy’.

Obaid signed off by saying, “We have already spoken with Waqar regarding the academy that we dream to start in Sylhet in the near future to nurture local cricketers and give them a platform to showcase their talent. Waqar will be heading that project [academy] once it gets rolling. We have already seen few places for the academy and soon will select an ideal place to launch our dream project.”