Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis have stepped down from their respective roles, just 10 days before their home series against the Black Caps.
Waqar Younis. Photo: Photosport
The pair both cited the toll of travelling around the world during the Covid-19 pandemic as their main reason for resigning.
"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," Misbah said in a statement.
"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."
Both Misbah and Waqar were assigned their roles in September 2019 and had a year left on their contracts.
Waqar added: "Working with the Pakistan bowlers ... has been the most satisfying 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."
The Pakistan Cricket Board has appointed former off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq as interim coaches for the upcoming series against New Zealand, while a decision on the team management for this year's T20 World Cup, set for the UAE and Oman in October and November, will be taken closer to the tournament.
Pakistan take on the Black Caps in three one-day internationals and five T20s in what will be the New Zealand's first tour to the country in 18 years.
The first ODI is in Rawalpindi on September 17.
-Reuters
