Lahore, Sept 9 : The three-member committee constituted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to hunt for a new head coach, has given a 15-day deadline to applicants for the job after it held its first meeting at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

The committee comprises of former team manager and coach, Intikhab Alam, as the chairman of the panel, and former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas and former wicket-keeper batsman Naushad Ali as the other two members.

“The PCB chairman [Ijaz Butt] briefed us prior to our meeting and has given us a free hand in the search,” The Express Tribune quoted Alam, as saying.

“We’ll consider both local and foreign applicants and there’s a 15-day deadline,” he added.

The committee, also assisted by former captain Ramiz Raja, will shortlist the candidates to replace outgoing coach Waqar Younis, and forward its recommendations to the PCB.

“We have a responsibility to suggest the list of suitable candidates, and after that, it’s the PCB’s prerogative to announce the coach in light of our recommendations,” said Alam.

“If the committee wants to approach someone on their own accord, they have the authority to do that,” he added.

Ramiz was absent from the meeting due to his media commitments. However, Alam said that details of the meeting were conveyed to the former captain, who is in presently in Zimbabwe.

“I want to make one thing clear. The committee members are a single unit, and if Ramiz wasn’t able to participate, all the details have been emailed to him,” he stated. (ANI)