KARACHI, Nov 6: Former Pakistan batsman Ijaz Ahmed is all set to be named as the fielding coach of the national team before the home Test series against arch-rivals India starting on January next year.

Sources said Ijaz, who was picked on the interim

national selection committee last month by the new management of the Pakistan Cricket Board, had himself expressed interest in assuming the position of fielding coach and in all probability will be given a two-year tenure.

“He is very keen to do this assignment and will probably be given a two-year contract after the one-day series against the West Indies in Abu Dhabi later this month,” one source said.

The PCB has already appointed former Test captain Intikhab Alam as the coach of the national side while former pacer Aaqib Javed has been named as his deputy for a two-year term.

The PCB is also expected to name the support staff of the national team after the Abu Dhabi series when the governing body of the board meets later this month to take some important decisions and ratify those already taken by the new Chairman Ijaz Butt. “Indic-ations are that the PCB will also attach a batting coach, probably Shoaib Mohammad,” the source said.—Agencies