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PCB mulls replacing Lawson with Intikhab Alam
Geoff Lawson's days as Pakistan coach seems numbered with the cricket board planning to replace the Australian with former captain Intikhab Alam.
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: July 05, 2008 03:43 PM IST
Read Time:2 min
Karachi:
According to sources, the Pakistan Cricket Board feels appointing Lawson was a mistake and though the Australian, who took over in July last year, was offered a two-year term, PCB would debate terminating his contract in its next meeting.
Even before he completes one year at the charge, Lawson has ticked off the media, Board officials and former and current players and his problem only compounded with Pakistan team's none-too-impressive performance in recent past.
A senior PCB official, during a recent governing body meeting, told Chairman Nasim Ashraf that there was nothing wrong in admitting it was a mistake to bring in Lawson.
"Lawson's attitude and his temperament is now being scrutinised closely within the Board after recent happenings," one source said.
"The Australian has had several run-ins with the selectors as well as some former Test players working at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore," the source said.
"The senior official said at the meeting that there was nothing wrong if the Board released Lawson and accepted it was a mistake to appoint him as national coach," he added.
He said another official, after the recent tri-series in Dhaka, had also made the point what was the purpose of having a foreign coach and manager if the chairman had to send emails to motivate and shake up the players.
Pakistan won the tri-series final in Dhaka beating India but only after they had lost a group match to the Indians by 140 runs that prompted the PCB chief to send a strongly-worded e-mail to the manager on the team's performance.
The Board was also not very pleased when Lawson raised an issue over the appointment of English umpire Ian Gould for Pakistan's matches in the Asia Cup, which was rejected by the International Cricket Council.
"There is now a growing feeling that he clearly has a temperament problem as some players have also had arguments with him," the source said.
Lawson was appointed as coach on a two-year contract by the Board and sources said his appointment over the more experienced Dav Whatmore came as a surprise. A senior official of the Board, himself a former Test player, had picked him for the job.
"The official has supported him in recent times but at the next governing body meeting, Lawson's tenure could be debated more openly by the members as there is already a talk about bringing back former Test captain Intikhab Alam," another well-placed source said.
Geoff Lawson's days as Pakistan coach seems numbered with the cricket board planning to replace the Australian with former captain Intikhab Alam.According to sources, the Pakistan Cricket Board feels appointing Lawson was a mistake and though the Australian, who took over in July last year, was offered a two-year term, PCB would debate terminating his contract in its next meeting.
Even before he completes one year at the charge, Lawson has ticked off the media, Board officials and former and current players and his problem only compounded with Pakistan team's none-too-impressive performance in recent past.
A senior PCB official, during a recent governing body meeting, told Chairman Nasim Ashraf that there was nothing wrong in admitting it was a mistake to bring in Lawson.
"Lawson's attitude and his temperament is now being scrutinised closely within the Board after recent happenings," one source said.
"The Australian has had several run-ins with the selectors as well as some former Test players working at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore," the source said.
"The senior official said at the meeting that there was nothing wrong if the Board released Lawson and accepted it was a mistake to appoint him as national coach," he added.
He said another official, after the recent tri-series in Dhaka, had also made the point what was the purpose of having a foreign coach and manager if the chairman had to send emails to motivate and shake up the players.
Pakistan won the tri-series final in Dhaka beating India but only after they had lost a group match to the Indians by 140 runs that prompted the PCB chief to send a strongly-worded e-mail to the manager on the team's performance.
The Board was also not very pleased when Lawson raised an issue over the appointment of English umpire Ian Gould for Pakistan's matches in the Asia Cup, which was rejected by the International Cricket Council.
"There is now a growing feeling that he clearly has a temperament problem as some players have also had arguments with him," the source said.
Lawson was appointed as coach on a two-year contract by the Board and sources said his appointment over the more experienced Dav Whatmore came as a surprise. A senior official of the Board, himself a former Test player, had picked him for the job.
"The official has supported him in recent times but at the next governing body meeting, Lawson's tenure could be debated more openly by the members as there is already a talk about bringing back former Test captain Intikhab Alam," another well-placed source said.
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