Karachi, Oct. 30 (ANI): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is yet to take a decision on disgraced former Test captain Salim Malik's bid to become the national team's batting coach.
"Malik's application was received last week and now it is up to the committee to choose the candidate for the job on merit and nothing has been finalised as yet on Malik by the committee or PCB chairman," the Daily Times quoted PCB spokesman Nadeem Sarwar, as saying.
"The committee will also assess the credentials of Malik in a similar way as they assess the credentials of other candidates who have applied for the job and in Malik's case they will also check whether he is eligible to take a cricket-related job," the spokesman said.
Malik, 49, had applied for the post last week, saying he was under no bar after a Pakistani court lifted his life ban for match fixing in October 2008, though the International Cricket Council (ICC) has not publicly endorsed the ruling.
In the year 2000, Malik was banned from cricket for life by a judicial inquiry after Australian players Shane Warne, Tim May and Mark Waugh alleged that Malik had offered them money to under-perform during their team's tour to Pakistan in 1994.
Last year, Pakistan had formed a coaching committee under former captain and PCB director Intikhab Alam, with legendary batsman Zaheer Abbas, Naushad Ali and former captain turned commentator Ramiz Raja as members.
Earlier this year, the panel chose former Australian batsman Dav Whatmore as the head coach, Englishman Julian Fountain as fielding coach and former Pakistan paceman Mohammad Akram as bowling coach.
Malik said he was not put off by the fact he had no coaching badges - a requirement stipulated by the PCB. He has recently been involved in private coaching but his failure to clear the lifting of the ban with the ICC has been a hurdle in him taking a cricket-related job. (ANI)