Shane Watson has decided to step back from the competition to become the head coach of the Pakistan cricket team, despite being the preferred candidate of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Watson, the former Australian allrounder who coached the Quetta Gladiators this season in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), was in advanced talks over the past week about taking on the role of Pakistan’s limited-overs coach. Sources indicate that he had seriously thought about the offer after thoroughly enjoying his time in Pakistan during the PSL and was looking forward to working with Pakistan’s players.
However, it has been learned that Watson has chosen to fulfill his current coaching and commentary commitments for now. He currently has a commentary contract with the IPL and a head coaching position in Major League Cricket with the San Francisco Unicorns, in addition to his role with the Quetta Gladiators. Moreover, he has a young family and is based in Sydney.
Assuming a full-time position with Pakistan would have required him to take charge immediately ahead of Pakistan’s upcoming limited-overs series against New Zealand at home in April and commit to Pakistan’s limited-overs schedule throughout the year.
Watson’s decision to withdraw from consideration means that Pakistan is still without a head coach for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand. Pakistan is also scheduled to play T20Is against England in May before the T20 World Cup in June.
Although reports in Pakistan indicated that the PCB’s offer to Watson was around US$2 million per year, sources suggest the actual amount was closer to half that figure. It is understood that the financial aspect of the offer did not influence Watson’s decision to pull out.
The rapid pace of developments regarding the PCB’s interest in Watson as head coach meant that accepting the offer would have required him to step down from his other roles at short notice, which is believed to be the primary reason for his withdrawal.
Watson was appointed head coach of the Quetta Gladiators late last year. He won a title with the Gladiators as a player in 2019.
He has made significant changes at the helm in his first season as coach, notably playing a key role in replacing Sarfaraz Ahmed – who had been the franchise’s captain for eight years – with South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw.
The Gladiators had a strong start to the season and qualified for the playoffs for the first time in five seasons. However, they lost momentum towards the end of the tournament and were eliminated by Islamabad United on Friday.
