Published in The Nation on Sep 06th, 2021, Web Desk
Pakistan cricket team head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis have resigned from their respective roles.
As per the reports, they have communicated their decisions to the Pakistan Cricket Board late Monday morning.
It is pertinent to note that Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis were appointed in September 2019 and they both still have a year left in their contracts.
The PCB has appointed Saqlain Mushtaq and Abdul Razzaq as interim coaches for the three ODI and five T20 series, with the team management for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, which is to be appointed in due course, as the New Zealand side is due to arrive on 11 September, and the Pakistan side is to be assembled in Islamabad on 8 September.
Explaining the reason behind the decision of stepping down from his post, Misbah-ul-Haq said the the quarantine in Jamaica post the West Indies series provided me with an opportunity to reflect on the past 24 months as well as the schedule for international cricket ahead.
Considering that I would have had to continue to spend considerable time away from my family and that too in a bio-secure environment, I have decided to step down from the role, he added.
“I understand that the timing may not be ideal but I don’t think I am in the right frame of mind for the upcoming challenges and it makes sense for someone fresh to step-in and take the side forward”, he concluded.
On the other hand, Waqar Younis said that after Misbah-ul-Haq shared his decision with me, it was obvious for me to resign as we had walked into the roles together, had worked collectively as a pair and now also step down together.
PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said that the PCB understands and respects Misbah’s decision. Cricket in this unprecedented bio-secure world has not been easy for anyone and Misbah has clearly taken into account the intense six months of non-stop cricket ahead, he added.