Misbah-ul-Haq, Waqar Younis resign as Pakistan's head coach and bowling coach ahead of T20 World Cup
Karachi, Sep 6: In a shocking decision, Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis have stepped down from their respective roles one month before the T20 World Cup.
The Pakistan Cricket Board on Monday announced that Misbah and Waqar have resigned and that former Pakistan Test players, Saqlain Mushtaq and Abdul Razzaq would be interim coaches for the time being.
The sudden changes coincide with the induction of former Test captain Ramiz Raja as the new Chairman of the board on September 13.
Ramiz on his YouTube channel and as a commentator and analyst has maintained that he does not believe Misbah and Waqar are the best coaches for the Pakistan team.
Even the World Cup squad announced on Monday bears the influence of Ramiz in the selection process as he has been inclined towards younger players and power hitters in the T20 format.
"Considering that I would have had to continue to spend considerable time away from my family in a bio-secure environment, I have decided to step down from the role," Misbah said in a statement.
Waqar said that after Misbah shared with him his decision and future plans, it was a straightforward decision for him to resign as they had walked into the roles together, had worked as a pair and now also stepped down together.
The PCB said that Saqlain and Razzaq will join team management as interim coaches for the New Zealand series.
Misbah and Waqar were appointed in September 2019 and still had a year each left in their contracts.
The changes come with the New Zealand side due to arrive on September 11 for three ODIs and five T20Is and the Pakistan side to assemble in Islamabad on September 8.
The PCB said that the team management for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup will be appointed in due course.
In his statement, Misbah, a former skipper said: "The quarantine in Jamaica post the West Indies series provided me with an opportunity to reflect on the past 24 months as well as the schedule for international cricket ahead.
"Considering that I would have had to continue to spend considerable time away from my family and that too in a bio-secure environment, I have decided to step down from the role.
"I understand that the timing may not be ideal but I don't think I am in the right frame of mind for the upcoming challenges and it makes sense for someone fresh to step-in and take the side forward."
Misbah was initially also appointed as chief selector with his head coach position in 2019 but had resigned last year from the selection job citing a heavy workload.
Waqar Younis said working with the Pakistan bowlers, including the youngsters, has been the most satisfying thing for him as they have now started to show progress.
"Bio-secure environments in the past 16 months have had their impact, something we had never experienced during our playing days," he said.
"The next eight months will be busy and exciting for the Pakistan team and, like in the past, I will continue to back and cheer them on. I want to thank each and every member of the Pakistan cricket team set-up as we stayed united in good and bad days, and hope there will be brighter days ahead."
PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said the PCB understands and respects Misbah's decision.
"Cricket in this unprecedented bio-secure world has not been easy for anyone and Misbah has clearly taken into account the intense six months of non-stop cricket ahead.
"Both Misbah and Waqar have given so much to Pakistan cricket over a long period of time and for that they deserve a huge amount of respect."
Wasim Khan said that Saqlain and Razzaq have been appointed as interim coaches for the New Zealand series.
Saqlain is the Head of International Player Development at the National High Performance Centre, while Razzaq's domestic side won three titles in the 2020-21 season.
"Both Saqlain and Razzaq are ready to step-up and are very much looking forward to making important contributions in their coaching roles against New Zealand."
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
