Talks also underway to hire Azhar Mahmood to mentor bowlers for next month’s Twenty20 World Cup in India
KARACHI: Negotiations are underway in Dubai to rope in West Indian great Sir Vivian Richards as Pakistan’s batting consultant ahead of next month’s World Twenty20 championship in India.
Well-placed sources in Dubai told ‘The News’ on Thursday that a top Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official has formally approached Richards with a job offer.
Richards, regarded as the world’s most destructive batsman of all time, is in Dubai as mentor of Quetta Gladiators – the surprise package of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL).
“PCB has approached Richards to help our batsmen out for the Twenty20 World Cup,” a source said. “He (Richards) has responded positively.”
According to the sources, negotiations are under progress and it is expected that the PCB and Richards will come to an understanding soon.
Pakistan have been forced to look for ways and means to bolster their Twenty20 squad after their team slipped to seventh place in the Twenty20 International rankings.
One of the biggest concerns for Pakistan is their below-par batting which has failed to come at par with the best in the world in the 20-over format that favours big-hitters.
Most of Pakistan’s batters are almost incapable of playing the big shots consistently and are also guilty of consuming too many dot balls.
That’s where Richards comes in.
The 63-year-old Antiguan is one of rare batters of the past, who would have thrived in the Twenty20 format.
Richards had the capability of riding roughshod on all kinds of bowling attacks and Pakistan’s cricket chiefs must be hoping that he will somehow instill some of that ability in the country’s misfiring batsmen.
There were reports on Thursday which suggested that Pakistan will fire Grant Flower, their batting coach, to make room for Richards but sources said that such a move so close to the Twenty20 World Cup is unlikely.
“The idea is to bring in Richards as a mentor for our batsmen. His role will be of a consultant while Flower will continue to work as the batting coach,” a source said.
According to the source, PCB has also sounded out Azhar Mahmood for the role of bowling consultant for the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in India from March 8-April 3.
An accomplished all-rounder, Azhar played 21 Tests and 143 One-day Internationals for Pakistan. At 40, he is still a regular on the domestic circuit in England as well as Twenty20 leagues all over the world.
“The Board has also approached Azhar Mahmood. He is an experienced hand and there is this belief that Azhar can help bring an improvement in our Twenty20 team’s performance in the World Cup as a bowling consultant,” a source said.
Pakistan announced their 15-man squad for the Twenty20 World Cup last week including four uncapped players in the touring party.
Now there are reports that they might make changes to the line-up after the Twenty20 Asia Cup which gets underway in Bangladesh on February 24.
Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain has hinted that a few changes might be carried out in the squad on the basis of the players’ showing in Bangladesh.
“I hope that we don’t need to make changes in the squad and it plays in both events but if any player fails to click in the Asia Cup then there can be changes made in the side for the Twenty29 World Cup,” Afridi said.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has set March 8 as a deadline for those teams who have qualified for the super round to make last minute changes in their selected squads.
“If there are players who impress everyone in the Pakistan Super League they can be considered for the World T20.”