Reports: PCB chairman Ramiz Raja keen on roping Gary Kirsten as Pakistan coach

Former South Africa cricketer Gary Kirsten is a frontrunner to become Pakistan's next head coach. If reports are to be believed,  Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has Kirsten as his number one candidate to replace Misbah-ul-Haq, who stepped down from the role before the 20-20 World Cup.  Kirsten comes with a massive amount of coaching experience. He coached India between 2008 to 2011 and led the team to a win in the 50-over World Cup in 2011. The former South Africa batter also coached his country for two years.

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Notably, Misbah ul Haq and Waqar Younis stepped down from the head and bowling coaches respectively ahead of the 20-20 World Cup after which PCB hired Saqlain Mushtaq and Abdul Razzaq on interim basis. However, Raja is keen on having a foreign coach for the team.

It remains to be seen if Kirsten accepts the role. Recently, talks were going on having Kirsten as head coach of the Indian team but he declined the offer stating he is not ready to take up coaching full time.

Meanwhile, according to a report in Indian Express, former Australia batter, Simon Katich and Englishman Peter Moores are also shortlisted by the PCB. Katich and Moores too have considerable amount of experience in coaching teams. The former till recently was the coach of RCB in the IPL, while the latter had coached England men's team in 2009.