The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) efforts to hire a foreign coach for the men’s cricket team faced another setback when former West Indies captain Darren Sammy declined the board’s offer for the top position, as reported by The News on Monday.
Sammy, who also serves as the head coach of Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Peshawar Zalmi, turned down the offer due to his existing contract with the West Indies board, where he currently serves as the team’s head coach for one-day internationals (ODIs) and T20Is.
This development follows the PCB’s unsuccessful attempt to recruit former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson as the national team’s head coach. Watson, who also coaches Quetta Gladiators, returned home after rejecting the PCB’s offer despite holding discussions during the ongoing PSL in Karachi.
Initially expressing interest, Watson later declined the offer, citing the leakage of information regarding the PCB’s proposed package to the media. He also mentioned his commitment to his current coaching and commentary roles, including commentary duties for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and coaching the Major League Cricket side San Francisco Unicorns.
With both Sammy and Watson no longer in contention, the PCB may explore interim arrangements for overseeing the national team during the training camp in Kakul from March 25 to April 8, ahead of the five-match T20 series against New Zealand starting on April 14 in Lahore and Rawalpindi.