KARACHI: Since the reinstatement of Zaka Ashraf as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s legitimate chairman through an Islamabad High Court order, it seems things have started moving at a rapid pace following the culmination of Dav Whatmore’s two-year tenure as national team head coach.

Aamir Sohail has been already announced to double up as the new chairman of the national selection committee while being also named as the director game development, a post the former Pakistan skipper held for a year during the controversy-riddled PCB regime of Ijaz Butt.

Zaka’s reclaiming power at the PCB has given the impression that the former president of Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) is in a hurry to make up for the lost time. So much so that even the rules and regulations of the cricket board are being flouted blatantly.

The example of Intikhab Alam’s appointment as director domestic cricket operations — the ex-Pakistan captain’s latest portfolio — makes mockery of the advertisement for the said position uploaded on the PCB website and the national media in which the deadline for applicants was set as Feb 10.

Now it has emerged, according to well-informed sources who are close to the PCB, that former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis is about to be pronounced as the successor to Whatmore as head coach.

Although the PCB is expected to end the suspense in a couple of days, it has not wasted time in extending the last date for the applicants. On Jan 21, the advertisement for the three posts in the coaching department for the Pakistan team the last day was given as Feb 6 before it was abruptly extended by two days because one of the committee members, Wasim Akram, was not available.

The four-man committee — comprising top PCB officials Subhan Ahmed, Javed Miandad and Intikhab as well as Wasim — formed to shortlist candidates for the positions of head coach, batting coach and fielding coach is due to meet in Lahore on Monday.

“It is futile that the board has advertised for the post of head coach,” sources told Dawn on Sunday while referring to the published advertisement. “It is just an attempt to show that the PCB is functioning in a transparent manner under Zaka Ashraf. This is absolutely not the case.

“Waqar held detailed meetings with the PCB chairman when he was in Dubai last month to attend the ICC Executive Board meeting to discuss the working relationship in which Waqar wants to operate in his second tenure [as head coach] with the team.

“And Waqar also met the PCB chief in Lahore before Zaka left for Singapore for the second ICC meeting. This is a clear indication as to who will be the head coach of the Pakistan team,” the sources added.

Contrary to this development, a senior PCB official confirmed on Sunday that no foreign coach has applied for the high-profile job as the committee shortlisted six candidates for the positions of head coach, batting coach and fielding coach.

Intikhab, who is heading the committee, said two sets each for the three positions will be submitted to Zaka for final approval after the PCB chairman returns from Singapore on Monday.

Wasim, the greatest left-arm fast bowler in cricket history, as well as fellow former captain Miandad, himself a legendary batsman, pointed out that it was time to promote homebred coaches after the modest period during Whatmore’s term.

“I am really happy that all candidates are from Pakistan and no outsider has applied,” Wasim remarked. “In my view, [mostly] Pakistanis should handle the national side. It is also true that we did favour foreign coaches [in the past] but now it’s high time we promote our own coaches.”

Intikhab refused to reveal names of the shortlisted candidates, but it is being said that apart from front-runner Waqar, former coaches Mohsin Khan and Ijaz Ahmed are also among the contenders.

According to sources, Moin Khan, the ex-Pakistan captain who was the team manager until the Sri Lanka series and replaced on Friday by PCB director of international cricket operations Zakir Khan, has also emerged as a strong candidate for the role of head coach.

The sources revealed that Moin has been strongly backed by Wasim who has recommended to the board to appoint him (Moin) for the upcoming Asia Cup and ICC World Twenty20 events in Bangladesh.

“Wasim is a strong supporter of Moin and wants the PCB to appoint him for a short term of four months because there is no international commitment for Pakistan the series against Australia next October,” the sources said.

The sources further contended that Moin also has Miandad’s support while Waqar is backed by Subhan and Intikhab.

Former Test seamer Mohammad Akram, who has reportedly being given a fresh two-year contract by the PCB, is keen on having Moin with further support for the deposed team manager reportedly coming from Test and ODI Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq and the national T20 skipper Mohammad Hafeez.

Basit Ali, recently named head coach of Karachi regional academy, is also in the run for the secondary positions along with Ijaz Ahmed, Asif Mujtaba, Jalaluddin and Mohtashim Rasheed.

Whatmore, a former Australian batsman who also coached Sri Lanka (to World Cup title in 1996) and Bangladesh, and fielding coach Julien Fountain, who hails from England, quit last month after Pakistan won the Sharjah Test to draw the series against Sri Lanka.

Among other prominent foreigners, late Bob Woolmer, Richard Pybus and Geoff Lawson were attached with Pakistan national team in the past.