LAHORE, Oct 31: Citing politics in Pakistan cricket team, Geoff Lawson believes a foreign coach while enduring political pressures, can manage the country’s national squad better while taking crucial decisions.

Addressing the media here at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Lawson, a former Australian Test paceman whose two-year contract as Pakistan coach was terminated last week, said a foreign coach at least would not bow to any political pressure, which, he believes, has an influencing role.

Lawson was chosen by Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) previous chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf, instead of high-profile Australian coach Dav Whatmore.

However, after the new PCB chief Ijaz Butt expressed his lack of confidence in Lawson, the two parties reached a mutual understanding to part ways.

Lawson, who leaves for Australia today, has also said that his termination was a result of the political change in the PCB, adding otherwise his performance was not bad. He claimed that he attained 72 per cent success as Pakistan coach, saying had his team played some Test matches in 2008, the results could have been better.

However, it should also be noted that Lawson’s performance graph appears high as Pakistan played 10 ODIs at home against weak teams like Zimbabwe and Bangladesh earlier this year, winning all of them. Otherwise during his tenure Pakistan lost the vital Test and ODI series against South Africa at home followed by ODI and Test series defeats in India. The outright failure in the Asia Cup at home and then the recent flop at the Twenty20 quadrangular tournament in Toronto speak volumes of what Lawson could achieve on ground since taking over the job last year.

Reaching the final of Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa last year, when Shoaib Malik’s team lost to traditional rivals India, and the tri-nation tournament success in Bangladesh prior to the Asia Cup, were his only highpoints.