Misbah Ul Haq & Waqar Younis Resign From Pakistan’s Coaching Duties Ahead Of T20I World Cup

Misbah and Waqar were appointed as the coach of Pakistan men's national cricket team in September 2019 and had one year left in their tenure.

New Delhi: There has been turmoil in Pakistan cricket ever since the announcement of the Pakistan team for the T20 World Cup. Pakistan's head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis have resigned from their respective roles. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed Abdul Razzaq and Saqlain Mushtaq as interim coaches for the upcoming Pakistan vs New Zealand limited overs series.

Misbah and Waqar were appointed as the coach of Pakistan men's national cricket team in September 2019 and had one year left in their tenure. Experienced players like Fakhar Zaman and Shoaib Malik have not been included in the Pakistan team, selected for the T20 World Cup.

"Misbah and Waqar were appointed in September 2019 and still had a year each left in their contracts," PCB said in its official statement.

Misbah-ul-Haq said: "The quarantine in Jamaica post the West Indies series provided me with an opportunity to reflect on the past 24 months as well as the schedule for international cricket ahead. Considering that I would have had to continue to spend considerable time away from my family and that too in a bio-secure environment, I have decided to step down from the role."

"I understand that the timing may not be ideal but I don't think I am in the right frame of mind for the upcoming challenges and it makes sense for someone fresh to step in and take the side forward. The past 24 months have been thoroughly enjoyable and I want to thank my team and the management for their support. I wish the Pakistan cricket team best of luck in the upcoming events and will continue to support them every time they will take the field to represent Pakistan," he added.

Waqar Younis said: "After Misbah shared with me his decision and future plans, it was a straightforward one for me to resign as we had walked into the roles together, had worked collectively as a pair and now also step down together. Working with the Pakistan bowlers, including the youngsters, has been most satisfying as they have now started to show progress. Bio-secure environments in the past 16 months have had their impact, something we had never experienced during our playing days."

"The next eight months will be busy and exciting for the Pakistan team and, like in the past, I will continue to back and cheer them. I want to thank each and every member of the Pakistan cricket team set-up as we stayed united in good and bad days, and hope there will be brighter days ahead," he added.