Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has pulled out of the race to become Pakistan’s head coach, according to Cricket Football League.
Watson was reportedly the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) preferred candidate and had been in advanced discussions over the last week. However, he has honored his current coaching and commentary commitments instead.
Watson, who coached Quetta Gladiators in this season’s Pakistan Super League (PSL), was excited by the prospect of working with Pakistan’s talented players. However, the full-time position would have required him to assume charge immediately ahead of Pakistan’s upcoming limited-overs series against New Zealand.
Watson’s decision means Pakistan still needs a head coach ahead of the April five-match T20I series against New Zealand. They are also scheduled to play T20Is against England in May before the T20 World Cup in June.
While news reports in Pakistan suggested that the PCB’s offer to Watson was around US$2 million a year, Cricket Football League Website understands that the figure was closer to half that amount. The financial offer is not believed to have influenced Watson’s decision to withdraw.
The speed at which developments occurred concerning the PCB’s interest in Watson meant that accepting the offer would have necessitated pulling out of his other roles at short notice. This is understood to be the main reason for his withdrawal.
Bottom Line
Watson, who won a PSL title with Gladiators as a player in 2019, has made significant changes to the team as coach, including replacing Sarfaraz Ahmed with Rilee Rossouw as captain. Gladiators started strongly in the PSL but lost momentum towards the end, eventually being eliminated by Islamabad United.
The PCB is now expected to consider other candidates for the head coach position.
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