Shane Watson, the former Australian all-rounder, is being considered for the position of head coach of the Pakistan cricket team but is still undecided about taking over, even though the PCB has accepted his remuneration demands. (More Cricket News)
Sources reveal that Watson has demanded a yearly remuneration of $2 million, which equates to approximately 46 million rupees per month. This is the highest fee ever demanded by a foreign coach in Pakistan.
It is worth noting that previous foreign coaches of the Pakistan cricket team, such as Richard Pybus, Bob Woolmer, Geoff Lawson, Dav Whatmore, Grant Bradburn and Mickey Arthur, were paid significantly less than what Watson demanded.
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“He has a young family in Australia and also has commitments in the USA Major League. So, he is weighing his options as the board wants him to spend maximum time in Pakistan helping them also discover and groom talent at the domestic level,” the source said.
He admitted that Watson was taking time to sign the contract due to the frequent changes within the PCB and the coaching staff. Currently, Watson is coaching the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and although he has held coaching roles in the Indian Premier League (IPL), he has no prior experience coaching an international team.
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PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has made it clear that he wants a foreign coaching set-up to run the team with the full backing of the board.
It has been reported that Naqvi, who was appointed as the Minister of Interior, has indicated that he will continue to serve on the board simultaneously.
This is not an unprecedented move, as other officials have previously held positions in both the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the government.
Additionally, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has no objections to Naqvi's dual role. Naqvi has also announced that he will not be taking a salary as the Minister of Interior and has already enlisted six bureaucrats from the Punjab government to work on deputation in the board.
