The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed former Australian fast bowler Geoff Lawson as their new cricket coach at press conference in Karachi today whereas BCCI is still looking for the options after being declined by Graham Ford .
Board chairman Nasim Ashraf told a news conference that Lawson had been preferred over two other short-listed candidates, Dav Whatmore and Richard Done. He dismissed claims that Arjuna Ranatunga’s comments regarding Whatmore played a part in the decision, or that the players, many of whom were in favour of Lawson, had exercised their influence unduly.
Ashraf said,
Lawson is our choice and we are confident he will help the Pakistan team into a new era of success.
Geoff Lawson, a level 3 qualified coach, will arrive in Pakistan on August 15 and is expected to be on a similar financial package as was Woolmer. He is likely to bring his own management support team with him. Pakistan might also appoint a specialist batting coach and fielding coach following the BCCI approach.
This will be Lawson’s first international assignment though he has been head coach with New South Wales (NSW) and is currently involved officially with the state.
Chronology of Pakistani Coaches – [Twelve changes in ten years]
- September 1998: Javed Miandad, the former Pakistan captain, takes over as coach from Haroon Rasheed.
- April 1999: Miandad resigns after falling out with senior players and is replaced by Mushtaq Mohammad for the 1999 World Cup.
- August 1999: Mushtaq sacked after the World Cup even though Pakistan finished runners-up. Replaced by Wasim Raja.
- November 1999: Richard Pybus, a South African-based Englishman, replaces Raja for a tour of Australia, becoming Pakistan’s first foreign coach.
- December 1999: Intikhab Alam takes over after Pybus is axed following Pakistan’s 3-0 rout in their tour to Australia.
- March 2000: Miandad returns in place of Intikhab, who was sacked after Pakistan lost the first two Tests against Sri Lanka in a home series.
- April 2001: Miandad sacked after Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand and is replaced by Pybus for the tour of England.
- September 2001: Pybus refuses to come to Pakistan in the wake of the Sept 11 attacks on the United States and Mudassar Nazar takes over.
- September 2002: Mudassar summoned home midway through ICC Champions Trophy. Pybus returns.
- March 2003: Pybus quits after Pakistan are knocked out in the first round of the World Cup. Miandad returns.
- June 2004: Bob Woolmer, the former South Africa coach, takes over as Pakistan’s second foreign coach, replacing Miandad, who is sacked after Pakistan lose one-day and Test series against arch-rivals India.
- March 2007: Woolmer dies during the World Cup in the Caribbean. Pakistan were knocked out by minnows Ireland the previous day.
- July 16, 2007: Geoff Lawson named as Pakistan’s third foreign coach.
