Grant Flower Signs Contract With PCB as Pakistan Batting Coach

Former Zimbabwean batsman Grant Flower has finally signed a contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to join the national team as its batting coach next month.

According to sources in the PCB, the board also had success in appointing a foreigner as fielding coach and trainer. (Also read: PCB announces pay hike for centrally contracted players)

"Grant Luden who is a South African and a former trainer of the Bangladesh team has accepted the assignment to be fielding coach and trainer with the national side and he will also work at the national cricket academy," one source told PTI.

He said that Luden was approached for negotiations after another Zimbabwean, Richard Halsall had expressed his reluctance to accept any assignment from the PCB due to its current management crisis and court cases.

The source said that the board was now looking to finalize a deal with a physiotherapist so that the support team of the national side could be completed.

"The national summer training camp is due to wind up next week and since there is no activity for the players until the August tour of Sri Lanka, the PCB has also allowed former captain, Waqar Younis to join the team late as head coach," the source said.

Pakistan is due to tour Sri Lanka in August to play two Tests and three one-day internationals in the unscheduled series.

The PCB has already appointed former test leg-spinner, Mushtaq Ahmed as the team's spin bowling consultant while Moin Khan is the chief selector cum manager.

The source said the national selectors would also meet soon to finalize the names of 22 players who are to be given central contracts this year.

"The selectors will finalize the names on basis of the performance and attitude of players shown during the national summer camp with particular emphasis on their fitness standards," he added.

He said the input of Muhammad Akram who is head coach at the NCA and who supervised the national summer camp and Waqar would be taken before finalizing the names of the contracted players.

The board has already announced increments of 20 to 25 percent for players who get central contracts in their monthly retainers and in their match fees.