Pakistan to get specialist fielding coach soon

Karachi:

To bring improvement in the fielding front, the Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to appoint a specialist coach on permanent basis for the national team after the tour of Australia.

PCB chairman Ejaz Butt said on Friday that a decision had been taken to have a permanent fielding coach and the choice could be between a local and foreign candidate.

"Our fielding standards have been reasonably fair in recent times. But there is room for improvement and that is why we have decided to have a permanent coach. We have no problem appointing a foreign coach if he is suitable for the team," Butt said.

The Pakistan cricketers put up inapt fielding display in the first Test against Australia in Melbourne and Butt admitted that allowed the hosts to come out of tight situation in the match.

The board recently appointed former captain Waqar Younis as the bowling and fielding coach of the team for the tour of Australia.

Butt disclosed that Waqar had himself offered to help the team as he lives in Australia and said, "He is a great cricketer and we think his presence in the team will definitely help both the bowlers and the players."

Butt, however, was happy with the batting department.

"I don't think there is any problem with our batting. Our batsmen all played with confidence in Melbourne but the problem is they all need to be given confidence and proper chances. We need to have continuity in the team selection," Butt said.

Asked about the concerns expressed by captain Muhammad Yousuf about Twenty20 cricket killing the other forms of the sport in Pakistan, the PCB chairman said Yousuf had every right to give his individual opinion.

"The fact is that we don't decide the international schedule, this is done by the ICC. But as far as the PCB is concerned we are trying to have a balanced mix of first class, one-dayer and T20 cricket matches domestically," Butt said.

"Even in Australia our team is playing just one T20 international. I think, it is all a question of players now adopting to the different formats of the sport," he added.