LAHORE: Pakistan cricket team’s bowling coach and former Test paceman Aaqib Javed has decided to quit the job in the wake of a five-year contract offer from the UAE for their national side.

Well-informed sources told Dawn that Aaqib had been offered an overall package of US$15,000 by the UAE, including US$10,000 as monthly salary, free accommodation along with other facilities.

The 39-year-old Aaqib who played 22 Tests and 163 One-day Internationals between 1988 and 1998, has been acting as Pakistan’s bowling coach in patches and currently he is accompanying the national outfit in the UAE in their high-profile series against England.

Sources said the PCB had also offered Aaqib a two-year contract to work as Pakistan team’s bowling coach, with a monthly salary of US$4,000. The contract was to start from April 1. But he received a lucrative offer in the UAE and has decided to accept it, instead of working as bowling coach under, most probably, Australian coach Dav Whatmore.

There are strong reports that the PCB is going to appoint Whatmore as Pakistan team’s head coach and Julian Fountain as fielding coach, both of whom are likely to start their job from April 1, 2012.

Both Whatmore and Fountain will be in Pakistan by the last week of February to sign their contracts, sources said. However, now after Aaqib’s departure the PCB will have to find another bowling coach.