LAHORE: Former Pakistan fielding coach Grant Bradburn has emerged as the favourite to become national side’s head coach under Mickey Arthur’s consultancy, sources told Dawn on Thursday.

The New Zealander served as the Pakistan fielding coach from 2018 to 2020 and has also worked as head coach at the National Cricket Academy.

He is one of the three confirmed names for the potential five-member Pakistan coaching panel including consultant Arthur and fitness coach Grant Luden.

The new team management will be named when all five names are finalised with negotiations already under way.

“Arthur has sent to the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) different choices for his coaching panel members with separate budgets,” an official of the board told Dawn.

“The PCB will make a final decision by choosing the best staff that it can afford according to its budget limitation.”

One of the names that is under consideration for the coaching panel is that of former Pakistan all-rounder Yasir Arafat, who holds a Level IV coaching qualification from the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Whether Yasir — who featured in three Tests, 11 One-day Internationals and 13 T20Is for Pakistan — makes the cut or not is yet to be decided. “Yasir Arafat is one of names being considered but nothing is final as several steps have to be taken to pick up the best coaching panel,” said the PCB official.

All Pakistan players are preparing for the eighth edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League, which kicks off on Feb 13. The tournament ends on March 19, a week before New Zealand tour the country for five ODIs and as many T20s.

The official said the coaching panel will be finalised by April 1.

“There is no hurry to finalise the coaching panel and most probably Grant Bradburn will be the head coach while Arthur will be available as consultant/cricket director,” he said.

“Arthur will also travel with the teams for the ICC and ACC events besides being available for all of Pakistan’s assignements while the English domestic season is off.”

During Arthur’s tenure as Pakistan coach between 2016 and 2019, Pakistan won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017 and became the number one side in the Twenty20 International rankings.

After the Champions Trophy, Pakistan whitewashed Sri Lanka in ODI and T20 series after losing the Test series. The side also won a triangular T20 series also involving Australia and Zimbabwe to maintain their number one ranking.

The 54-year-old, however, fell out of favour after Pakistan narrowly missed out on making the semi-finals of the

2019 World Cup in England. Arthur, who has also coached his native South Africa and Sri Lanka, is currently serving as the head coach of Derbyshire on a three-year contract.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2023