Pakistan interim coach Aqib Javed not to get 'extension'

KARACHI: Aqib Javed, interim head coach of the Pakistan men's team, is expected not to get an extension in his role, sources told Geo News on Friday, after the Champions Trophy debacle.

"Aqib Javed will not get an extension in his role. A new coach will be appointed for the New Zealand tour," sources within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) revealed.

Pakistan ended their campaign in the home Champions Trophy without a win after rain washed out their dead rubber against Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

It has been a forgettable campaign for Mohammad Rizwan-led Pakistan in the first global tournament to be staged in the country since 1996 and their six-wicket defeat by arch-rivals India will particularly hurt.

Javed, a former international fast bowler, was appointed to the role in November last year after the resignation of Gary Kirsten.

The team's humiliating run and early elimination from the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025, it seems, has not only invited widespread criticism from fans and the cricket fraternity but also raised eyebrows in Islamabad.

"The prime minister will personally take notice and we will also ask him to raise these [cricket-related] issues in the cabinet as well as in parliament," PM Shehbaz Sharif's aide on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah said while speaking on Geo News' programme "Geo Pakistan".

Meanwhile, sources also revealed earlier that some senior Pakistan cricketers are reportedly considering stepping away from the upcoming New Zealand tour to avoid the risk of being dropped due to their recent poor performances.

According to the insiders, a few players have initiated discussions about taking a "break" from the series, which comprises five T20Is and three ODIs, set to be played from March 16 to April 5.

Speculations regarding potential exclusions have intensified, with reports indicating that key players such as Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, and Babar Azam could be at risk.