LAHORE: Grant Bradburn became the fourth Pakistan Cricket Board official to step down since Ramiz Raja became the the PCB chairman last month after the New Zealander resigned from his post as the Head of High Performance Coaching on Friday.

Bradburn, who had 18 months left on his contract, follows in the footsteps of Misbah-ul-Haq, bowling coach Waqar Younis and chief executive Wasim Khan who all resigned after Ramiz replaced Ehsan Mani as the country’s cricket chief. Like Bradburn, the three of them also had time left on their contracts.

Bradburn was Pakistan’s fielding coach from September 2018 to June 2020 before taking on the development of coaching responsibilities.

“It has been an honour and privilege to serve Pakistan, providing challenge and support, to drive the players, coaches and teams forward,” Bradburn was quoted as saying in a news release announcing his decision to step down. “I will leave PCB grateful for the wonderful opportunities and the experiences I have gained.

“As a foreigner, I felt welcomed and valued by my present and former PCB colleagues, players, officials and the Pakistan public. I have always felt safe here, loved exploring this wonderful country and made many lifetime friends.

“My wife Maree and three children have also sacrificed a lot in allowing me to serve Pakistan cricket. Covid-19 regulations made it challenging for them to visit Pakistan and feel the warmth, love and friendship this country offers. It is now time for me to prioritise family and move forward to the next coaching challenge.”

High Performance Director Nadeem Khan thanked Bradburn for his contribution to Pakistan cricket. “Grant served Pakistan cricket with passion and dedication. He was always full of energy and ideas, a number of which he implemented following the restructuring of the NHPC.”

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2021