Image Credit- AFP
Despite being the
preferred choice of the PCB, Shane Watson has withdrawn from the competition to
become the head coach of Pakistan.
Over the past week, Watson, the former Australian all-rounder who guided Quetta
Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), has been in advanced talks to
become Pakistan’s limited-overs coach. It is known that he was thrilled about
the chance to work with Pakistan’s players and had given the offer careful
thought after having a great time in Pakistan during the PSL.
However, Watson has
made the decision to fulfil his present obligations as a coach and commentator
for the time being. In addition to his position with the Quetta Gladiators,
Watson also holds a major league cricket head coaching position with the San Francisco
Unicorns and an IPL commentator contract. He is based in Sydney and has a small
family as well.
He would have taken over immediately ahead of Pakistan’s next home
limited-overs series against New Zealand in April if he had been hired on a
full-time basis, allowing him to dedicate himself to the team’s limited-overs
schedule all year long.
With Watson
withdrawing from the competition, Pakistan is still without a head coach before
their five-match Twenty20 International series against New Zealand. Prior to
the T20 World Cup in June, Pakistan is scheduled to play T20 Internationals
(T20Is) against England in May.
Although news reports from Pakistan implied that the PCB was offering Watson
about US$2 million annually, the true amount was more like half of that sum.
It’s thought that Watson’s decision to withdraw had nothing to do with the
PCB’s money offer.
It is understood that Watson’s primary motivation for withdrawing was the fact
that accepting the offer would have required him to abruptly leave his other
roles due to PCB’s interest in him as head coach.
Late in the previous
season, Watson was named head coach of the Quetta Gladiators. In 2019, he was a
player for Gladiators and won a title.
For the first time in five seasons, the Gladiators qualified for the playoffs
after an incredibly strong start. But as the competition came to an end, they
lost steam, and Islamabad United eliminated them on Friday.