da jogodeouro： The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Thursday named virtually unknownDaryl Foster as the national team’s bowling coachcum consultant fortour to England another mind boggling decision which will be debatedfor days to come
27-Apr-2001The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Thursday named virtually unknownDaryl Foster as the national team’s bowling coachcum consultant fortour to England another mind boggling decision which will be debatedfor days to come.An official of the PCB revealed that Foster would also work asconsultant of the team but his contract was only for the two Tests”which is extendable upto the tri-nation one-day series”.The first Test at Lord’s begins May 17 while the second Test at OldTrafford concludes June 4. The 18-day one-day series, also involvingAustralia and the hosts, will kick off at Edgbaston June 7.The PCB spokesman added that a full-time coach to replace sacked JavedMiandad would be named `soon’ but confirmed that Foster would join theteam in England where it is due to arrive May 2.Although no details about the financial package offered to the formerKent county coach were released, but was anybody’s guess that ifGeoffrey Boycott can claim 30,000 pounds for a 15-day coaching stint,Foster would be getting the same if not more.The free-spending PCB sustained the criticizm of wasting money onBoycott saying the Yorkshireman was sponsored by a food chain. But itwill have to come up with a sound explanation to justify theinvestment on Foster.It means all the current expenses to run the establishment are beingmet from previous earnings whether they be the 1996 World Cup profits$6 million from PILCOM or television rights of the recent home series.It may not be out of context to mention here that the PCB has notconducted any audit of expenses for the last 18 months. And ifanything has been done, the official document has not seen thedaylight.On the face of it, it appears that Foster has been hired specificallyfor controversial pacer Shoaib Akhtar, who underwent remodelling ofhis bowling action in the University of Western Australia in Perth.The PCB has been emphasising for the last two days that it has proofthat Shoaib’s action was clean a claim based on the report submittedby Foster’s university.The PCB admitted that Foster’s appointment did have an influence ofhim working with Shoaib. Which means that in Foster, the PCB has hireda “lawyer” for Shoaib to counter the hostile British media which iscertainly not going to make the pacer’s life easy.Foster’s job description as bowling coach is nothing but a belatedattempt to give a legal cover because it is anybody’s guess that inthe presence of Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram, if selected, who couldbe better persons to guide the young pacers.Wasim and Waqar together have around 20 years of experience of playingin England while the second Test is at Wasim’s home countryLancashire.Besides, if Wasim and Waqar are so deadly, it is not because they gotthe guidance of a bowling coach. They were nurtured by Imran Khan whotutored them and passed on valuable tips on the field rather than onthe drawing board.It is the second time that a specific person to handle and look afterShoaib has been appointed. Earlier Dr Tauseef Razzak toured NewZealand with the Pakistan cricket team specially to look after Shoaibwho has become a regular “tourist” than a playing member.Shoaib, on whom the PCB has already spent millions, has failed tosustain a series in his previous three tours. The same is likely tohappen again no matter whom the PCB appoints considering Shoaib’s pastrecord.