Shane Watson takes U-turn from Pakistan head coach race

Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has withdrawn himself from contention for the position of Pakistan's head coach, a move that has left the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) scrambling to fill the vacancy ahead of the upcoming series against New Zealand and England.

Watson, who had been in advanced talks with the PCB following his coaching stint with the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), has opted to prioritize his current coaching and commentary commitments. Despite expressing excitement about the opportunity to work with the Men in Green, Watson has decided to honour his existing engagements, which include commentary duties in the IPL and a coaching role with San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket (MLC).

The board's pursuit of Watson came at a crucial time, with Pakistan gearing up for a busy schedule of limited-overs cricket, including a series against New Zealand in April and T20Is against England in May ahead of the T20 World Cup in June. However, Watson's decision to withdraw from consideration leaves the national team without a head coach for the imminent series against the BlackCaps.

While initial reports suggested the PCB had offered the ex-cricketer a substantial financial package, it's understood that the actual figure was significantly lower than speculated. Financial considerations, however, did not factor into the Australia national's decision, with the primary reason for his withdrawal being the impracticality of juggling multiple coaching roles at short notice.

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Despite the setback, Watto's impact on Pakistan cricket has been notable, particularly during his tenure with the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League. Since taking over as head coach, the World Cup-winning all-rounder has overseen significant changes within the team, including the replacement of long-standing captain Sarfaraz Ahmed with South Africa's Rilee Rossouw. Under his guidance, the Gladiators made a strong start in the PSL, although they ultimately fell short in the play-offs.

With the Aussie out of the picture, the PCB now faces the urgent task of finding a suitable replacement to lead the national team, a challenge made all the more pressing by the imminent series against New Zealand.