Former Pakistan captain Misbahul Haq is keen on obtaining a hefty paycheck from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), in return for his services as the head coach of the Men in Green.

According to details, Misbah, who is the top contender for the vacant head coach position of the Pakistan cricket team, wants his salary to be in line with his predecessor Mickey Arthur for this position. Arthur was paid US $20,000 per month during his tenure but the board is reluctant to pay such a massive amount to a local coach.

Another matter that could lead to a deadlock, between the two parties, is related to coaching in the Habib Bank Limited (HBL) Pakistan Super League (PSL) — which Misbah is keen on doing while retaining Pakistan’s head coach position.

It must be noted that PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani had made it clear that having dual roles, with the national side and a PSL franchise, will no longer be possible and the new PCB constitution also reflected the same thing. In the past, the likes of former Chief Selector Inzamamul Haq, Head Coach Arthur, and Bowling Coach Azhar Mahmood held different roles with franchises while working with the Pakistan team.  

PCB set to relax head coach requirements for Misbah

Sources have also stated that the aforementioned concerns were the reason why Misbah left applying for the head coach position till the eleventh hour. It was only because of PCB’s insistence, who were not able to find a suitable option to replace Arthur, that Misbah applied for the role. The board’s advertisement for the position was also chalked out keeping in mind the former captain’s qualifications.        

After a disappointing performance in the 2019 International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup in England and Wales, the PCB announced that it will be immediately undertaking a robust recruitment process and decided not to renew the contracts of Arthur, Mahmood, Batting Coach Grant Flower and Trainer Grant Luden.

As part of the recruitment process, the PCB advertised the four available roles and invited high level applications from interested candidates.

Other than Misbah, former Pakistan coach Mohsin Khan and former Australian cricketer Dean Jones have also applied for the position of head coach. Meanwhile former Pakistan fast-bowler Waqar Younis is one of the contenders for the bowling coach spot.   

The interviews for all the positions will be carried out during the current week by a committee presided by PCB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Wasim Khan.