Pakistan launches new hunt for coach

KARACHI: Pakistan cricket leaders have ended Moin Khan’s two-month stay as head coach after the team’s disastrous exit from the World Twenty20 tournament.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) placed newspaper adverts Friday for coaches as it started a new hunt. And Khan could still be reappointed The PCB management committee unanimously decided on Wednesday to start a new coach search because of the World Twenty20 performance in Bangladesh under Khan.
Pakistan failed to reach the semifinals of the World Twenty20 for the first time in five editions.
Khan, a former wicketkeeper-batsman, was appointed for two months in place of Australian Dav Whatmore who held the post for two years.
“The applications for the roles of head coach, batting coach, fielding coach, spin-bowling consultant, physiotherapist, and strength and conditioning coach are invited for which a May 5 deadline is given,” said the advertisement on Friday.
The post of the head coach became contentious with a change in the PCB leadership two months ago.
Former PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf had all but hired Waqar Younes as coach before he was dismissed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, a patron of the PCB.
Najam Sethi, reinstated by Sharif, appointed Khan for the Asia Cup and World Twenty20.
Fielding coach Shoaib Mohammad and batting consultant Zaheer Abbas — appointed by Sethi in February — also failed to get an extension.
It is widely believed that the race for head coach will again be between Khan and Waqar Younes.
Waqar, coach in 2010 and 2011, said he would consider applying for the post but has sweeping powers if he takes over the job.
“I will read the ad before applying but I want power to run the team and then only I will be accountable to the board,” Waqar said.

Probes stars for playing with Kaneria

Pakistani cricket authorities have launched an investigation after a number of current international stars played in exhibition matches in the United States with banned spinner Danish Kaneria.
Kaneria was given a lifetime ban for spot-fixing in an English county game, which under International Cricket Council (ICC) rules effectively bars him from playing anywhere in the world.
But he represented the Houston Eagles in a series of Twenty20 games last weekend in Houston, Texas, with Test players Wahab Riaz and Nasir Jamshed taking part for rival team Boom Boom Blasters.
Other Pakistani players involved in the games were Fawad Alam, who staged a comeback in the national team in last month’s Asia Cup, Abdul Razzaq and Shahzaib Hasan.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed said the matter was under investigation.
“We are looking into how these players featured in these matches — authorized or unauthorized — without our permission,” Ahmed said late Thursday.
The United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) could also have questions to answer as banned players such as Kaneria are not allowed to play in any match under the auspices of an ICC member country’s association.
The England and Wales Cricket Board banned Kaneria two years ago for his part in a spot-fixing case during a 2009 county match between Essex and Durham.
A disciplinary board found he had enticed his Essex teammate Mervyn Westfield to concede an agreed number of runs in an over in return for money.
Three other Pakistani players — Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer — are also serving five-year bans in a separate spot-fixing case of 2010.
Asif was also stopped from playing an exhibition match in Norway last year.