Akhtar not 'professionally qualified' to be Pakistan's bowling coach: PCB

Karachi -  The Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) coach-hunt committee has shown no interest in Shoaib Akhtar's offer to take on the vacant bowling coach's role with the national squad.

Akhtar, while talking to reporters in Lahore on Thursday, said that he would jump at the opportunity if the PCB approached him.

However, a member of the committee said that the former pacer was not eligible due to lack of qualifications as a 'professional coach'.

Pakistan is without a bowling coach since former fast-bowler Aqib Javed resigned from the post to take up UAE's head coach position after the series against England earlier this year.

While the three-member committee that comprises Intikhab Alam, Zaheer Abbas and Colonel Naushad Ali, hired Dav Whatmore and Julien Fountain as head coach and fielding coach respectively, it has failed to finalise a candidate despite months of deliberation.

Recently, PCB chief Zaka Ashraf confirmed that none of the applicants were suitable enough for the role, The Express Tribune reports.

A committee member said: "Akhtar doesn't fulfil the criteria set out for the job. We need a professional coach for which we demanded at least five years coaching experience. Secondly, the candidate must be a level-3 coach.

"These are the two main pre-requisites which were a must to apply for the job and Akhtar does not have either of them. No doubt he was a great pacer in his days but a good cricketing history cannot guarantee good coaching career."

According to reports, former Essex paceman Ian Pont is said be the leading contender to replace Javed.