By BIPIN DANI
Mumbai, March 14 : Intikhab Alam, the 70-year-old former Pakistan coach will start yet another innings, this time as a Director of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)-run National Cricket Academy. "I shall start my new job from Monday", he said over telephone from Lahore.
He has no regrets on losing his post as a national coach to Waqar Younis. "Though I have involved myself as a coach most of the time in my life, this will be a new experience", he said. In 2004, He was the coach and manager of 1992 Cricket World Cup winning Pakistani team. He was appointed as the first foreigner to coach a domestic Indian cricket team, coaching Punjab, in the Ranji Trophy. On 25th October 2008, he was named as a national coach of Pakistan cricket team by PCB, a day after Australian Geoff Lawson was sacked as a national coach of Pakistan.
"As a coach, one is always under pressure and I loved accepting this as a challenge. Now as an academy director, my role will be different. There will be no pressure and I shall be responsible for grooming players in the countrty", he said exclusively, first time after leaving the coach post.
"The players from different academies are welcome with their problems". Alam will be responible for work in other academies-Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Multan etc..I am planning to do enough paper work and a establish a strong infrastructure for all academies", he further added.
Intikhab Alam refused to discuss about PCB's decision to fine and ban the seven players but his latest tour report, along with others, is likely to have enough impact. He is known for his sincerity and disciplinarian action.
On the 1994/95 Pakistan tour of South Africa/Zimbabwe. Intikhab Alam, then coach, when interviewed by Trevor Chesterfield, the international cricket writer, at Centurion on the eve of the one-off Test, admitted he had asked players to swear on the Koran they had not broken curfew. This was aftre he had chased away a man in a silver grey silk suit and know to certain players - Saleem Malik was later seen talking to the man near the side gate next to the main access gate used by TV mobivan as well as food vendors and when Alam shouted, the man was escorted out by security guards.
Comments