Miandad joins Pakistan as consultant

Javed Miandad will work with the Pakistan team as a batting and fielding consultant to help them prepare for their upcoming tour of New Zealand and the 2011 World Cup. This is the latest of his roles in Pakistan cricket, having been captain and coach and currently also director-general of the PCB.

"It is a great feeling to be back in cricket gear," Miandad told Reuters on the sidelines of a preparatory camp ahead of the upcoming New Zealand tour. "Coaching has always been a passion for me and I can help our players. It is all about fine-tuning them and preparing them mentally for difficult conditions and situations, since they have the talent."

Miandad, however, will not be travelling with the team to New Zealand later this month. "I have full confidence in the abilities of Waqar Younis [the Pakistan coach], and if there are two men dealing with the players, it may cause a conflict," he said. "So, I have decided not to go with the team and prefer to give coaching tips to the players in the training camp here.

"I hope the wickets at Christchurch and Eden Park and other venues are conducive for batsmen. But our batsmen will have to read their bowlers carefully. Pakistan must do well in New Zealand to enter World Cup in right frame of mind."

The New Zealand series is Pakistan's last opportunity to finalise their World Cup plans. In recent times, they have been bogged down by controversies on and off the field, prompting one-day captain Shahid Afridi to play down the side's World Cup hopes. Miandad, who holds the record for having appeared in most World Cups (six), could prove to be a valuable addition to the team as they search for stability ahead of the marquee event.

Miandad has coached the team three times in the past, each association ending in acrimonious circumstances. In January, he was involved in a war of words with Ijaz Butt after the PCB chairman indicated that Miandad was costing the board almost Rs 1 million ($11,820) for his services as director-general.