Imran wants bowling coach for Pakistan

With the famed Pakistan bowling coming under fire in the on-going one-day series against India, legendary Pakistan cricketer Imran Khan said the appointment of a bowling coach for the team is vital for it to win the upcoming Test series.

"If Pakistan wants to win the series against India they must appoint either Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis or Aquib Javed as bowling coach who will overcome the weaknesses in Pakistan bowling, which has let them down in the one-day series," the former pace ace said.

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"The way the Pakistani bowlers are conceding extras is unforgivable. You get a batsman out off a no-ball… is equally destructive in a one-day game as well as in a Test match," said Imran, who took 362 wickets in 88 Test matches to establish himself as one of the greatest fast bowlers ever.

Imran said in the event of Wasim and Waqar being unable to devote time to the team, Aquib Javed could be approached for the job.

"If Wasim and Waqar are not available I think Aquib can be the best choice, as he has been working with the juniors who won the junior World Cup recently, and he has given good results."

Wasim took a world record of 502 one-day and 414 Test wickets, Waqar 373 Test and 416 one-day wickets and Aquib 54 Test and 181 one-day wickets. All three played and mellowed under Imran in the eighties and early nineties.

Not always on good terms with current coach Javed Miandad, Imran denied he is after Miandad's job as coach.

"I have nothing to do with Miandad's post. He has been doing well and suggesting a bowling coach does not mean I have anything against Miandad," Imran said.

"I am suggesting a bowling coach from my observation that Miandad, captain Inzamam-ul Haq and manager Haroon Rasheed are all batsmen and they would not be able to know all the problems a bowler is facing."

Pakistan appointed former Western Australia and Kent coach Daryl Foster as their bowling coach for their tour of England in 2001 and then for last year's World Cup, but this time Miandad resisted PCB's plans to re-hire Foster.

"This is a fact that our bowlers need someone at hand during the nets and once you develop a bad habit of over-stepping in the nets it is hard to overcome," Imran said.

Pointing out that India had gained an upper hand ahead of the decider, he said, "By winning yesterday's match from nowhere India has gained a psychological advantage and Pakistan will be under more pressure, come Wednesday."

But Imran disagreed that Pakistan needed a fielding coach.

"I don't think Pakistan needs a fielding coach, because even the Australians don't have a fielding coach; fielding depends on individuals."

Regarded as one of the top four all-rounders alongside India's Kapil Dev, England's Ian Botham and New Zealand's Richard Hadlee, Imran also runs a charity cancer hospital named after his late mother, Shaukat Khanum, in Lahore.

Besides doing commentary for Ten Sports, holders of the telecast rights for the Indo-Pak series, Imran is also holding fund-raising concerts by famous Indian pop singer Daler Mehndi to start the hospital's second branch in Karachi.