Misbah, Waqar step down from coaching roles
Misbah and Waqar were appointed in September 2019
LAHORE (Dunya News) - Pakistan men’s national cricket team head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis have stepped down from their respective roles. They communicated their decisions to the Pakistan Cricket Board late Monday morning.
Misbah and Waqar were appointed in September 2019 and still had a year each left in their contracts.
With the New Zealand side due to arrive on 11 September for the three ODI and five T20I series and the Pakistan side to assemble in Islamabad on 8 September, the PCB has appointed Saqlain Mushtaq and Abdul Razzaq as interim coaches for the series, with the team management for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 to be appointed in due course.
Explaining the reason behind his resignation, Misbah-ul-Haq said the the quarantine in Jamaica post the West Indies series provided me with an opportunity to reflect on the past 24 months as well as the schedule for international cricket ahead.
Considering that I would have had to continue to spend considerable time away from my family and that too in a bio-secure environment, I have decided to step down from the role, he added.
“I understand that the timing may not be ideal but I don’t think I am in the right frame of mind for the upcoming challenges and it makes sense for someone fresh to step-in and take the side forward.”
Meanwhile, Waqar Younis said that after Misbah shared with me his decision and future plans, it was a straightforward one for me to resign as we had walked into the roles together, had worked collectively as a pair and now also step down together.
PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said that the PCB understands and respects Misbah’s decision. Cricket in this unprecedented bio-secure world has not been easy for anyone and Misbah has clearly taken into account the intense six months of non-stop cricket ahead, he added.
