Pakistan to announce new head coach by April-end with T20 World Cup on agenda - Report

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)is setto announce their new head coach by the end of April as the squad prepares for the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies. According to multiple media reports in PakistanPCBchairman Mohsin Naqvi has cleared his intentions to appoint a new coach intending to win the T20 World Cup for the second time in thenation’s history.Pakistan cricket has seen a turbulent few weeks after the squad went for military training while Shaheen Shah Afridi was replaced by Babar Azam as the new white-ball captain.

Pakistan to have new coach?

"The PCB chairman, MohsinNaqvihas made it clear thatthe long-term appointments of coaches will be donethrough a due process and all commitments would be met by the board,"a Pakistan media report read.

"Even in Kirsten andGillispie'scase though, the board has held direct negotiations with them, and they remain top candidates to be appointed head coaches, (but)they were also toldto apply through due process by the deadline,"the source said.

As things stand, PCB is considering options to hire Gary Kirsten, who led India to the 2011 ODI World Cup win and worked in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He also served as the coach of the South African national sidehavingbeen eccentric in theteam’srun in the middle of the last decade.

Pakistan cricket has been headed by interim membersin recent timeswithInzamam-ul-Haq taking selection duties for ODI World Cup.On the other hand, they sacked Babar Azam as white-ball captainwithformer PCB boss NajamSethi’smessages getting leaked.

Pakistan will meet arch-rivals India in the T20 World Cup on June 9 as both teams square off in New York. Both teams are placed in Group A alongside the USA, Canada and Ireland in what will be an extended format of the T20 World Cup.