Pakistan's hunt for bowling coach continues

Pakistan will travel to Sri Lanka for their tour in June and July without a bowling coach because all applications received for the vacancy left by Aaqib Javed have been deemed unsuitable.

"We aren't able to find a suitable coach so far," Zaka Ashraf, the PCB chairman told Express News. "We have to reopen the process for more applicants."

The Pakistan board received applications from Ian Pont from England, the Maldives coach Bazeegh Zaka, and former Pakistan players Jalal-ud-Din, Mohsin Kamal, Sabih Azhar and Mohammad Akram. The applicants, although qualified, lacked international exposure. One of the job requirements was to have at least five years of experience in a similar role with elite cricketers and none of the applicants fulfilled that. England's part-time spin bowling consultant Mushtaq Ahmed was also in contention but nothing was finalised because Pakistan were looking for more than a spin-bowling coach.

Intikhab Alam, the head of the committee looking for the bowling coach, said the process would continue once Ashraf returned to Pakistan next week. The PCB recently appointed Dav Whatmore and Julian Fountain as head coach and fielding coach. The vacancy for bowling coach arose because Javed accepted the position of UAE's head coach.