Barry Richards joins PCB as a consultant

Barry Richards has joined the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as a consultant for their national academy. The PCB convinced Richards after Greg Chappell agreed to serve in an advisory capacity.

According to an AFP report, Rameez Raja, the PCB's chief executive, said that the hirings were an investment in Pakistani cricket's future, and that their experience would help develop players. "Richards will come for 30 days in a year as consultant for not only the national academy, but would add to our commitment to secure our future," Raja said. "Our main problem is batting and through these two great players our players [the trainees at the academy] will get useful guidance.

"Both Richards and Chappell are great thinkers [and] have good ideas, so they would have encompassing roles under which they would also prepare coaching manuals which suit our conditions. Due to less movement our batsmen play more towards the on-side. The manuals would teach them how to play these shots correctly under all conditions."

Daryl Foster, who served the Pakistan team as a bowling coach in 2001 and 2003, was expected to arrive at the national academy as a consultant in July. Interestingly, a few days ago Inzamam-ul-Haq had said that he would have liked Foster to return as a bowling coach for the national team.