LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has hired the services of icon Mohammad Yousuf as batting coach at the National High Performance Centre (NHPC) besides also reshuffling the domestic coaches’ panel as well as bringing in new members of the national selection committee, headed by Misbah-ul-Haq.

Overall, 39 new coaching appointments, including three in the NHPC and 36 in the six provincial cricket associations were made during Thursday’s annoucement.

“Investing in quality coaching skills to create winning environments, while continually developing world’s best international players, has been at the heart of coach requirements behind which the PCB announced a star-studded line-up of coaches for the NHPC and six cricket associations for the 2020-21 domestic season following a comprehensive performance review and robust recruitment process,” a PCB media release stated.

“The list of coaches is headed by country’s fourth highest Test run-getter and second highest ODI run-getter Mohammad Yousuf, who has been appointed as NHPC’s batting coach. Others who are also joining the panel include former Test wicket-keeper Atiq-uz-Zaman and fast bowler Mohammad Zahid.”

However, a PCB spokesman said all the appointees have Level-II coaching degree, and added that cricketers were being groomed in the coaching area there are very few coaches at the moment.

“They have a good experience of playing modern cricket so with their coaching the sport will flourish,” he said.

Former Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed been retained as spin bowling consultant at the NHPC.

The prominent names who got assignment with provincial teams are former Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and the ex-batting trio of Basit Ali (Sindh), Faisal Iqbal (Balochistan) and Mohammad Wasim, who retains his position at Northern.

Razzaq, Basit, Faisal and Shahid Anwar (Central Punjab) will now join Abdur Rehman (Southern Punjab) and Wasim as members of the national selection committee.

However, when asked if Misbah had been taken into confidence over making changes in the selection members, the spokesman said not he was not consulted since the appointments were being made of coaches.

The spokesman further remarked that Misbah had worked with almost all new members, so there would be no problem.

He said there was no new appointments are made as all 39 new employees were replacing others.

Furthermore, the incoming coaches at the NHPC will also support and supplement the national teams’ player support personnel to help the elite cricketers continually improve their skills and prepare appropriately for success at international level.

Commenting on his appointment, Yousuf said: "My ambitions in making a career in coaching are an open secret but it was all about the timing and a proper roadmap for our future cricket in which I could contribute effectively. I believe this is the right time for me to start my second innings as I can sense the intent and optimism in the approach.

“I am delighted to have been offered this opportunity and I firmly believe I can help young cricketers by transferring my knowledge and experience.

“This will be an exciting and challenging task but I am up for it and look forward to making a meaningful contribution.”

Besides the ex-internationals, seven other former first-class cricketers will make their coaching debuts in the upcoming season — Aftab Khan, Aslam Qureshi, Fahad Masood, Habib Baloch, Hafiz Majid Jahangir, Hanif Malik and Mohammad Sadiq.

Other coaches who have been retained for the 2020-21 season are: Abdul Rehman, Akram Raza, Bilal Ahmed, Fahad Akram, Hussain Khosa, Iqbal Imam, Kamran Khan, Mazhar Dinari, Mohammad Masroor, Mohammad Wasim, Riffatullah Mohmand, Saeed Anwar Jr, Sajjad Akbar, Samiullah Khan Niazi, Saqib Faqir, Shahid Anwar, Shoaib Khan, Tahir Mahmood, Tanvir Shaukat, Wasim Haider and Zahoor Elahi.

The outgoing coaches are Arshad Khan and Raj Hans of Balochistan, Ijaz Ahmed Jr, Naveed Anjum of Central Punjab, Kabir Khan and Sajid Shah from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Manzoor Elahi and Tahir Mahmood of Northern, Azam Khan, Tauseef Ahmed, Shaukat Mirza of Sindh) and Southern Punjab’s Javed Hayat.

Meanwhile, other changes in the NHPC coaching panel are: Abdul Majeed and Mansoor Rana — transferred to International Cricket department as fielding coach and team manager of the national cricket team, respectively — Mohsin Kamal (relea­sed) and Mohtashim Rasheed, who has transferred as player support personnel with the national under-19 side.

Welcoming the new coaches, NHPC High Performance director Nadeem Khan said: “All the coaches who will be supported and trained to deliver the coaching our players require for success on the international stage. Our coaches will be respected leaders, hold strong relationships, and be quality communicators and expert at creating winning plus learning environments.

“When the PCB had launched the revamped domestic structure last year on 29 August, it had announced it was an evolving process and changes will be made to further strengthen the structure. Due to paucity of time last season, the coaches couldn’t be appointed through a review, analysis and recruitment process, which we have corrected this year.”

Following is list of coaching appointments:

NHPC —Mohammad Yousuf (batting consultant-cum-coach), Atiq-uz-Zaman (fielding and wicket-keeping); Mohammad Zahid (fast bowling).

Cricket Associations:

Balochistan — First XI: Faisal Iqbal (head coach), Wasim Haider (assistant coach); Second XI: Habib Baloch (head coach), Shoaib Khan (assistant coach); Under-19: Hussain Khosa (head coach), Mazhar Dinari (assistant coach).

Central Punjab — First XI: Shahid Anwar (head coach), Samiullah Khan Niazi (assistant coach); Second XI: Akram Raza (head coach), Humayun Farhat (assistant coach); Under-19: Tanvir Shaukat (head coach), Irfan Fazil (assistant coach).

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — First XI: Abdul Razzaq (head coach), Aftab Khan (assistant coach); Second XI: Riffatullah Mohmand (head coach), Aslam Qureshi (assistant coach); Under-19: Saqib Faqir (head coach), Mohammad Sadiq (assistant coach)

Northern — First XI: Mohammad Wasim (head coach), Mohammad Masroor (assistant coach); Second XI: Fahad Masood (coach), Saeed Anwar Jr (assistant coach); Under-19: Bilal Ahmed (head coach), Fahad Akram (assistant coach).

Sindh — First XI: Basit Ali (head coach), Iqbal Imam (assistant coach); Second XI: Ghulam Ali (head coach), Zafar Iqbal (assistant coach); Under-19: Tahir Mahmood (head coach), Hanif Malik (assistant coach).

Southern Punjab — First XI: Abdul Rehman (head coach), Aizaz Cheema (assistant coach); Second XI: Sajjad Akbar (head coach), Zahoor Elahi (assistant coach); Under-19: Kamran Khan (head coach), Hafiz Majid Jahangir (assistant coach).

Appointments of team managers and other support staff will be made in due course.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2020