The former right-arm pacer of Pakistan, Aaqib Javed, has been appointed as the interim head coach of the Green Brigade in the white-ball format till the end of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is scheduled to take place from the third week of February to the second week of March.
Aaqib Javed, who also was the former men’s coach of the United Arab Emirates, will continue to serve as the senior member of Pakistan’s men’s selection committee. He will be assigned with the additional responsibilities after the end of the Champions Trophy as the official statement of the board revealed.
The PCB has also added about their initiation of the recruitment process for a permanent white-ball head coach, to complete the appointment by the end of the upcoming event. The chairman of the board, Mohsin Naqvi, shared his view on the selection in a press meeting at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on November 18.
“We have temporarily asked Aaqib Javed to take over as coach until the Champions Trophy. We don’t want to act too hastily in bringing in another coach who isn’t right. So, during this three-month gap, Aaqib will work (in that position). He wants to work on other things, but we requested him to work for three months as head coach, and after that, we will see about the other stuff he wants to do.” Naqvi expressed at the press conference.
Aaqib Javed slotted as the new white-ball interim coach of Pakistan
The former Australia pacer Jason Gillespie will continue to remain the head coach of the red-ball format and will be touring South Africa for the two-match series, which starts on December 26 after the T20I and ODI series.
The veteran took charge of the national side recently in Australia, just on the back of the eleventh-hour resignation of their former white-ball head coach, Gary Kirstein. Under the captaincy of new leader Mohammad Rizwan, they enjoyed their first series win in ODIs in Australia after such a long time before losing the T20I series down under.
“It is only for (Aaqib Javed to be only) white-ball [coach] and only [in an] interim [capacity]. We will begin the process of looking for a head coach in the next 10-15 days so we can search and find a good head coach.” The PCB chairman shed light.
“Aaqib Javed continuing to be on the selection committee puts the PCB’s coaching set-up in the unusual position of the interim white-ball coach having a say in selection across formats, while the full-time red-ball coach does not have a say in selection for the Test side.” Mohsin Naqvi addressed.
He will continue to be the selection committee, which puts the coaching set-up of PCB, where the interim white-ball coach doesn’t have a say in selection across formats, while the full-time red-ball coach can’t speak much in the selection of the Test side.
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The veteran was viewed by the PCB’s top mastermind behind them winning the Test series against England at home, despite being behind with a defeat in the opening game in Rawalpindi. He stepped down from his position at the Qalandars to focus on the PCB, while he seemed to be ahead in becoming the director at the National Cricket Academy.
Pakistan is next slotted to play three ODIs and as many T20Is in Zimbabwe before they travel to South Africa, where they will be part of two Tests, three T20Is, and as many ODIs. Later, they will take part in a two-match Test series at home against West Indies before hosting New Zealand and SA in the short ODI tri-series.
