Wasim Raja appointed coach of Pakistan team (12 August 1999)

12 August 1999

Wasim Raja appointed coach of Pakistan team

Our Sports Correspondent

LAHORE, Aug 11: Former Test allrounder Wasim Hasan Raja has been appointed as coach of the Pakistan cricket team on a long term basis on Wednesday. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) office secretary Waqar Ahmad said that Wasim Raja will join his duty shortly.

The term of Wasim Hasan Raja as coach, however, was not specified, Waqar said.

Raja is the veteran of 57 Tests and 54 One-Day Internationals.

The PCB secretary said that the newly appointed coach was fully equipped with latest coaching techniques including use of computers and audio visual aids. He was a qualified England and Wales Cricket Board Staff Coach.

Raja, the elder brother of Test cricketer Ramiz Hassan Raja, who recently appointed as member of the PCB selection committee, passed M.A Political Science from Government College, Lahore and Masters in Education from England.

The newly appointed Pakistan cricket team coach Wasim Hassan Raja said on Wednesday that mental approach, self respect, self discipline and the country's respect are his top priorities to rebuild the Pakistan team.

Talking to journalists at the Gaddafi Stadium after appointed as coach, the veteran of 57 Test matches, Wasim Hassan Raja said that he had signed one-year contact with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and would do his level best to achieve his target.

Raja said that emphasised would be laid on to improve the fielding standard of the team as 30 to 40 runs could be saved by displaying excellent fielding.

He said that he had passed five different cricket coaching examinations.

The national coach said that team was also lacking in physical fitness and extra efforts were required to remove this shortcoming.

He said that the days had gone when three or four batsmen were enough to bring win for a team. Now a team, studded with maximum all-rounder could be a strong one, he said.

He said he had already offered this post in past, but could not accept because his school, where he was teacher, did not relieve him.

Commenting on World Cup final which Pakistan lost tamely to Australia, Wasim Hasan Raja denied that the Pakistan team threw it away deliberately.

"If you are a professional you can not do anything deliberately", he said.

Raja left for England tonight and will back shortly.

Source :: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)