Buchanan offers consultancy help to Pakistan

Pakistan board officials will meet John Buchanan in Australia to discuss his offer to provide consultancy services to Pakistan cricket.

Shafqat Naghmi, the board's chief operating officer, and Mudassar Nazar, director of the National Cricket Academy, are currently in Australia and will meet Buchanan to hear out the proposal. Buchanan is understood to have offered his services to several boards and not just the PCB.

Ahsan Malik, director communications, told The News,

"We received a letter from him in which he has informed us about his consultancy and offered his services in various areas like grassroots development and the coaching of coaches. His credentials are so impressive there is no way we would have turned the proposal down without considering it."

Naghmi and Nazar are expected to meet Buchanan and report back to Nasim Ashraf, chairman PCB, before any final decision is taken. Buchanan stepped down as coach of Australia after their World Cup triumph earlier this year, after nearly eight years in charge and as their most successful coach ever results-wise.

Australia didn't lose a single World Cup match while Buchanan was in charge and won 68 of 89 Tests, only losing two Test series, both away from home. He ended his tenure as triumphantly as possible, not only retaining the World Cup, but plotting an ICC Champions Trophy win and an Ashes whitewash. Since stepping down, he was approached by the Indian board indirectly, but turned it down, saying he wanted to be a "mentor coach".