PCB considering Moin Khan, Aaqib Javed, Sabih Azhar for head coach position: Pak daily

Islamabad, Sept 14: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is considering the names of Moin Khan, Aaqib Javed and Sabih Azhar to succeed outgoing head coach Waqar Younis, a Pakistani newspaper has said, attributing to sources.
Aaqib Javed has been associated with the PCB in some capacity since long, but appointing him as coach will serve no purpose to the board or the players, as he lacks basic coaching methods, The Nation said in a report.
Same is the case with Moin Khan, who has no previous experience of even club level coaching, the paper said, adding that he can be a disaster for the team, if given the chance of coaching the national side.
The PCB must hire his services as a backroom staff member and groom him for future assignment, it suggested.
Sabih Azhar, who is the Rawalpindi Rams coach, is the most suitable person among all these above mentioned persons, as he is highly qualified and done coaching courses both at national and international levels, the paper said.
It noted that Sabih has the experience of coaching different club sides and has also won national tournaments with different regions.
If given a chance, Sabih can produce desired results and can do the job for longer period, as he has the complete knowledge of club level cricket and had travelled to different parts of the country during his coaching assignments, said the paper.

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Kaneria lauds England coach Andy Flower''s “great cricketing brain”

Islamabad, Sept 14: Pakistani leg spinner Danish Kaneria has paid tribute to his former Essex team mate and current England coach Andy Flower for his leadership and man management skills.
Kaneria noted the key role played by Flower in continuing success of England, which proudly sits at the top of the cricketing ladder after a one-sided series against India.
"Andy was a great man to have in the dressing room. He was the sort of guy that gave everyone confidence and a massive boost in the changing room. When things weren''t going well, Andy would rally the troops. He wasn''t one to rant and rave in the dressing room, rather he would be constructive and offer his opinions in a thoughtful and intellectual manner," PakPassion. net quoted Kaneria, as saying.
"When Andy spoke, everyone listened and his thoughts and ideas were always valued. It seems that he has continued that method as coach of England and it is paying dividends," he added.
Kaneria, who has spent several successful seasons at Essex, is not at all surprised that England, with Flower at the helm, is at the top of the test rankings.
"Andy is a very intelligent man. When I played alongside him at Essex, it was clear to me that he had a great cricketing brain and I knew he would make a very good coach. As a player, he would spot things that would make you sit up and take note and realise just what excellent knowledge of the game he had," Kaneria recalled.
"I knew that he would make a great coach and he''s doing a fantastic job with England. The best thing about Andy and why I realised he would make a good coach was that he listened, listened very carefully to every word that was spoken. He took on board everything that was discussed and would give everyone the opportunity to make their point," he added.
The 30-year-old spinner sent out a warning to the rest of the cricketing nations that it would be difficult to remove England, under Flower, from the top of the test rankings.
"Flower will ensure that everyone around him retains focus and keeps their mind very much on the cricket. He won''t let the guys around him relax and take it easy, Andy will ensure that the England players don''t get complacent and it''s going to be very difficult for any of the other teams to remove England from the number one spot in the test rankings," said Kaneria.

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Wahab Riaz aims to become a genuine all-rounder for Pakistan

Islamabad, Sep 12: Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz reckons that he can be considered as a genuine all-rounder for the national team in the future.
"Definitely. In order to become an all-rounder, I feel I have the ability and can contribute with the bat. At this point though, I still need to focus a little bit more when batting and improve my concentration. I have been working hard to improve," PakPassion. net quoted Riaz, as saying.
"Also, concerning my batting, the coaches at Kent have helped me a lot so when I play for Pakistan next time around, I will be a different batsman," he added.
He further said that Pakistan coach Waqar Younis and former captain Wasim Akram have helped him develop as a fast bowler.
"Waqar has supported me a lot. He's always been very helpful and told me that whatever your basics are, try to bowl in relation to this and other things will come with time. Also, Wasim told me that when my inswinger develops further, I will become a very different bowler to what I am at the moment," Riaz said.
"That's why, I have been working very hard to develop the inswinging delivery and it is coming along. While it will take some time to perfect, I know that once it is perfected I will become a better all round bowler," he added.
When asked which batsman does he rate as the world's best, the 26-year-old said: "It's difficult to single out one batsman. From Australia, I would have to say Ricky Ponting. From India, of course Sachin Tendulkar is a great batsman and then there are also Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. All are great batsmen."

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‘Cash-strapped’ PCB opts against using UDRS in Test series against Sri Lanka, England

Islamabad, Sep 12: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided against using the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) in the Test series against Sri Lanka and England, which will be played in the United Arab Emirates.
The technology will, however, be in place for the ODI and Twenty20 matches.
PCB chief operating officer Subhan Ahmad said that the technology would not be used due to the high costs of having it installed.
"We in principle support the use of the UDRS and want it for both Tests and ODIs, but unfortunately we couldn't reach an understanding with our broadcasters for the Tests (in the United Arab Emirates)," the Daily Times quoted Ahmad, as saying.
"We have, however, reached a understanding with a company to bear the costs for the use of the technology in the one-day matches in both series," he added.
Pakistan will play three Tests, five ODIs and Twenty20 matches against Sri Lanka in October and November, and three Tests, four ODIs and two Twenty20 matches against England in January and February next year.
Ahmad further insists that the board would include the use of the UDRS when it signs a fresh contract with the broadcaster.
"When we sign our next contract for broadcasting rights we will try to ensure the broadcaster is willing to bear the costs of using the UDRS system in our series, including Tests and ODIs," he said. (ANI)

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Pak cricket team likely to tour Bangladesh in December

Islamabad, Sep 12: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly agreed to tour Bangladesh for a full series in December.
According to the Daily Times, the PCB has approved a tentative itinerary sent by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for the series, which will include two Tests, three ODIs and a Twenty20 match.
"Pakistan has not played Bangladesh in a bilateral series since early 2008 as it believed that the Bangladesh board had let it down on many occasions, especially by not supporting Pakistan when the World Cup matches were moved out of the country. But now things seem to have settled down," the newspaper quoted a source, as saying. (ANI)

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