Former Pakistan opener Mohsin Khan thinks Australia’s Geoff Lawson lacks the credentials to move Pakistan cricket forward and wants him replaced by a homegrown coach.
Khan says the move has to be made before next year’s all-important home series against India.
“Lawson has no calibre to coach at top level,” Khan told The Associated Press on Monday.
“He was a second-string bowler in his playing days (for Australia) when fiery pacemen Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson ruled the world.
“Even Terry Alderman was ahead of him.”
Khan, 53, played against former Australia Test fast bowler Lawson during his eight-year career between 1978-86, during which he scored 2,709 runs in 48 matches.
The previous Pakistan Cricket Board hierarchy — headed by Nasim Ashraf — employed Lawson as national coach last year on a three-year term.
Lawson, 50, played 46 Tests from 1980-89, taking 180 wickets at an average of 30.56. In the latter half of Lawson’s career, Australia were struggling to replace longtime pace spearhead Dennis Lillee.
“I won’t blame Lawson because he applied for the post and got the job,” Khan said.
“I would blame those who hired him without realising that Lawson has no experience of coaching international teams.”
Ashraf resigned as PCB chairman in August and the country’s president Asif Ali Zardari, who is also the PCB patron, has appointed former test cricketer Ijaz Butt to head a new-look cricket board.
“The new PCB chief is also a very good administrator and knows better when Lawson should go,” Khan said.
“(But) I am sorry to say Lawson has not given anything good to Pakistan cricket.”
Since Lawson took over as coach, Pakistan lost two major Test series — at home to South Africa and against India in December.
“It’s difficult for a foreign coach to adjust in our culture, and then communicating in English language is another big problem for our players,” Khan said.
Prolific former Test batsman Zaheer Abbas said foreign cricketers should come to Pakistan and coach youngsters instead of getting the job of running the senior team.
“If a foreign coach comes and grooms our youngsters, only then we could see whether we should give them the senior team’s coaching job,” Abbas said.
“A foreign coach can’t teach our players at Test level because a player is already matured enough when he is picked in the national side.”
Khan said: “You can’t teach the game to players at top level, they need just fine-tuning.”
Pakistan have tried three foreign coaches over the past 12 years — South African Richard Pybus, the late Bob Woolmer of England and now Lawson. Former Test captain Javed Miandad has had three stints in charge in that time.
“We picked up foreign coaches before Lawson, but they also could not do any miracles for Pakistan,” Abbas said.
“I hope the new chairman would think about Lawson.”
Another former Test captain, and former chief selector, Aamir Sohail, said language was the main hurdle in appointing foreign coaches to the Pakistan team.
“When you can’t put your point across what’s the point?” Sohail said.
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