The new PCB management committee, headed by Najam Sethi, is keen on bringing back Mickey Arthur as head coach of the men's cricket team, PTI reported on Saturday (December 24).
According to the report, Sethi had approached Arthur who is currently associated with the Derbyshire team in England.
Notably, Arthur was Pakistan’s head coach between 2016 and 2019. During his stint, the Men in Green won the 2017 Champions Trophy in England.
“Efforts are on to bring back Arthur and some other options are also being looked at and they are all foreigners,” PTI quoted a well-informed source as saying.
Last week, Ramiz Raja was removed as the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman by the country's government, which appointed a 14-member committee, headed by Najam Sethi, to run the affairs of the game for the next four months.
Soon after his appointment, Sethi expressed his interest to rope in a foreigner to manage the national side as current head coach Saqlain Mushtaq is stepping down from his role after the home series against New Zealand.
“We have seen in the past when Mickey Arthur was the coach that a foreigner does not bring excess baggage with him and is willing to make no compromises in team interest,” Sethi told the media after a meeting of the committee.
Meanwhile, PCB has appointed former skipper Shahid Afridi as the chief selector of the men's cricket team on an interim basis for the upcoming series against New Zealand. Besides, other former cricketers like Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar Anjum are also part of the selection panel.
Mohammad Wasim-led selection committee announced the squad for the two home Tests against New Zealand before the panel was sacked by the new management committee of PCB.
The decision has been taken only a few days after Pakistan suffered a humiliating 3-0 whitewash in the home Test series against England.
The source also said that Sethi was not in favour of retaining Babar Azam as Test captain.
Pakistan will host New Zealand in two Tests and three ODIs from December 26 to January 14.
(With PTI inputs)
