Batting coach: ‘PCB to shortlist candidates soon’

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) committee will meet this week to shortlist candidates for the batting coach position, according to an official close to the committee’s proceedings.
The PCB had advertised for the vacancy last month and set November 4 as the deadline for prospective candidates to send in applications.
According to details, about two dozen candidates from various countries including local hopefuls have applied for the post.

“The committee will assemble this week to shortlist candidates,” said the official. “It will try to finalise a batting coach before the team’s training camp for the India tour gets underway.”
Legendary batsman Zaheer Abbas, who resigned from the committee to apply for the position, is the apparent leading candidate. Other national cricketers applying for the job are Salim Malik and Asif Mujtaba.
The official refused to divulge the exact number of candidates, but said around two dozen former cricketers and coaches including contenders from Australia, South Africa and England have applied.
Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones has also shown interest in taking the job but said he can only work as a part-time coach due to his busy schedule.
The criteria set down by the PCB for eligible candidates include a Level-3 coaching course certificate. They also need to have “working experience of five years in a similar cricketing role with elite cricketers”.
However, the official said the committee is ready to overlook a few shortcomings to pave way for a former Pakistan batting legend to become coach.
Former Test great including Hanif Mohammad and former PCB chairman Ijaz Butt have backed local candidates, tipping Abbas as the best man for the position.