LAHORE, Nov 3: Former Test fast bowler Aaqib Javed has been appointed as assistant coach of the Pakistan team for a two-year term, a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman said on Monday.

Aaqib, 36, is likely to sign the contract before his first assignment — the three-match One-day International series against the West Indies in Abu Dhabi, to be played from Nov 12.

According to sources, Aaqib was the choice of coach Intikhab Alam.

In the past, Aaqib has been playing role as coach for the Pakistan Academy, ‘A’ and junior teams and currently he is chief coach at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

A highly accurate right-handed paceman during his heydays, Aaqib played 22 Test matches to capture 54 wickets at 34.70 apiece for Pakistan after making his debut against New Zealand at Wellington in February 1989. His best bowling remained 5-84 against Sri Lanka in the 1995 Faisalabad Test.

The bowler, who partnered Wasim Akram in Pakistan’s successful campaign at the 1992 World Cup in the absence of Waqar Younis due to an injury, also represented his country in 163 One-day Internationals for his 182 wickets at 31.43 after launching his ODI career in a World Series game against the West Indies at Adelaide in December 1988.

His top ODI show with the leather was a then world record 7 for 37 (that also included a hat-trick) against archrivals India in a Sharjah final in October 1991.

Aaqib played his last Test match against Zimbabwe at Peshawar in November 1998 while his Rawalpindi ODI against the Zimbabweans in the same year proved to be his final one-dayer.