Azhar Mahmood: “For the Afghanistan series, there were rumours that I refused it (head coach position), but I didn’t refuse it”
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Azhar Mahmood has revealed that he was asked to be Pakistan’s head coach for their limited overs series against Afghanistan but couldn’t do it.
Explaining why, the former Pakistan bowling coach said he already had coaching commitments in place with Surrey.
The 48-year-old added he informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) he was available to coach Pakistan during their T20I and ODI series against New Zealand, but they didn’t end up taking his offer.
“For the Afghanistan series, there were rumours that I refused it (head coach position), but I didn’t refuse it – because they [PCB] asked me for those two series, and they called me and asked me we would like you to have these two series as head coach of Pakistan cricket team, so I said my commitment is with Surrey so let me find out with Surrey first,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
“I am not sure they will allow me to do the New Zealand job – the New Zealand series – but you know I can do this series. So they (PCB) said okay, you have to do one series, that’s fine. We need someone, and then in the end, they went with someone else, which is absolutely fine, you know, like they found someone to do both the series.
“There were no long-term plans; they were short-term series by series thing. For me, because I have got my own commitments, and as you know, I am still with Surrey, and [the] season has already started.”
Pakistan’s current assignment is a two-Test series against Sri Lanka.
They won the first Test in Galle by four wickets and will look to complete a 2-0 whitewash in the second Test, which begins on July 24 in Colombo.
Pakistan Squad for Sri Lanka Test Series:Â Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Muhammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood