PCB set to sack foreign coaches following 2023 World Cup debacle

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is prepared to part ways with the foreign coaches in the current support staff unit after the Men in Green failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup. It is to be noted that bowling coach Morne Morkel resigned from his post on Monday after being appointed on a six-month contract earlier this year.

Apart from the bowling coach, Pakistan will reportedly be in the hunt for a new head coach, batting coach, as well as team director, with the likes of Grant Bradburn, Andrew Puttick, and Mickey Arthur, set to be relieved from their respective roles.

According to Samaa TV, PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf will hold an emergency meeting soon with former player Younis Khan following which the decision to sack the coaches will be made official. The board will also conduct a review, and assess the team's display at the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.

Pakistan won four matches in the league stage and finished fifth in the standings to miss out on the semi-finals for the third consecutive edition. Apart from the coaching staff, there has been scrutiny surrounding Babar Azam's future as Pakistan's all-format captain.

PCB set to replace Morne Morkel with Umar Gul as the new bowling coach

While the hunt for several coaching roles will be underway soon, the PCB has apparently made the decision about the team's next bowling coach. Former Pakistan bowler Umar Gul is the favored candidate to take over.

Gul served as the Afghanistan team's bowling coach in 2022 and was also the interim bowling coach for the Pakistan team during the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

As far as the rest of the coaching staff are concerned, there is no clarity surrounding their future following a dismal campaign. Mickey Arthur was roped in as the team director by former PCB head Najam Sethi and fulfilled his role remotely through an online medium. He was contractually obligated to travel with the team only for important tournaments and tours, such as the Asia Cup and the World Cup.

On the other hand, the likes of Grant Bradburn and Andrew Puttick were tied down with lengthier contracts and could remain with the team until May 2025, if they hold onto their roles.

The PCB will be keen to wrap up the review and the decision-making in time for Pakistan's challenging tour of Australia in the December-January window.