Newly appointed Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis is hoping that his partnership with Misbah-ul-Haq will turn out be a fruitful one for the men’s team.
Waqar is now undertaking his fifth coaching stint with the Pakistan team with his latest innings coming under Misbah who has been handed the dual responsibilities of head coach as well as chief selector.
The duo has worked together in the past as well with Waqar’s two head coach stints with the Pakistan team coinciding with Misbah’s captaincy tenure.
“I think I have a very good chemistry with Misbah, I’ve got a very good understanding with him and it will help in the future,” Waqar was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has given Misbah an opportunity and it’s our responsibility to support and back him because he’s a very honest man and passionate about the game.
“My role is very simple and well-defined. I had done both the roles as a head coach and a bowling coach so I have an idea. The best thing is that I know about Misbah’s mindset because whatever coaching I had done was with Misbah as the captain.”
The first assignment for the coaching duo will be Sri Lanka’s upcoming tour of Pakistan which is slated to get underway on September 27. The touring Sri Lankan team will first take on the hosts in a three-match ODI series at Karachi before the two teams move on to Lahore for the T20I-leg.
The tour had been thrown into doubt earlier with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) forced to ‘reassess’ the security conditions after a tip-off for a potential terror threat. However, those fears have now been allayed with SLC confirming that the tour will go ahead as planned after receiving assurances from the Pakistan government.
Waqar believes that Sri Lanka’s visit to the country will be a massive boost to the return of international cricket to Pakistan.
“The best thing is Sri Lanka is coming, it’s a plus for Pakistan, and other teams should also come. Our short-term goal is that we should win matches early on and build the confidence,” he stated.
Waqar and Misbah are currently overseeing a training camp of 20 probables at the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore for the upcoming Sri Lanka clashes before the team moves on to Karachi for the first ODI on September 27.
