MUMBAI: Intikhab Alam, the former Pakistan cricket coach believes that age cannot be the criteria for the appointment of the national coach.

He was reacting to the recent remarks made by Sunil Gavaskar, who had said, “A younger person is needed [for Team India] because a younger person will have the intensity and will want to prove that he has coaching credentials. We tried Fletcher but it didn’t work. Now is the time for us to take a hard call.”

The 73-year-old Intikhab said exclusively over telephone from Lahore, “I am not saying Fletcher should go or remain. If the aged coach has credentials, he should continue.”

In 2008, Intikhab, at the age of 67, was named as national coach of the Pakistan cricket team by the PCB, immediately a day after the Australia’s Geoff Lawson was sacked as the national coach.

Interestingly, when Pakistan had their first ICC World Twenty20 title by defeating Sri Lanka in the final in 2009, Intikhab was four years older than Duncan Fletcher’s current age of 65.

“The coach, be it young or old, can be effective and become only successful if he carries command over players and earns respect. The good coach should have management skill and quality and should be able to deliver the results. Players should listen to him,” Intikhab added.

Gavaskar proposed the name of Rahul Dravid.

“It is a debatable issue whether foreign coach can yield better results or the local coach can have more impact on players,” Intikhab, the man whose services have been hired several times by the PCB for coach-hunt, signed off.

Meanwhile, Duncan Fletcher commented on Sunil Gavaskar’s comments.

“Yes, I have seen them. That is his opinion. I just prefer to ignore it,” he said over telephone from South Africa.

Obviously, the Indian cricket board would not permit him to react further.