Waqar Younis resigns as Pakistan head coach
Waqar Younis resigned as Pakistan head coach on Monday following his side's humiliating exit from the World Twenty20 in the group stages.
“I am resigning from my post today with a heavy heart,” a dejected Waqar said while addressing reporters outside the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
The 2009 champions won once, against Bangladesh, and suffered defeats by India, New Zealand and Australia.
The team were jeered by a huge crowd at Lahore airport on their return from India.
Then, in his post-tournament report to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Waqar blamed Afridi's "poor captaincy" for the team's performance
Waqar's resignation comes a day after Shahid Afridi, 36, stepped down as Pakistan's Twenty20 captain.
In a critical six-page document, Waqar said he did not want to "shift the blame to any personal individual but to identify where things did not go right".
However, despite Afridi's resignation, Waqar has stepped down three months before his contract was due to expire.
Afridi, the world's leading wicket-taker in T20 internationals with 97, planned to retire from international duty at the end of the tournament but has now said he wishes to play on.
The former captain said the PCB's failure to implement his recommendations after the 2015 World Cup and the 'leak' of his confidential report after the team's disastrous run at the World T20 played a 'big' role in him walking away from his post three months before his contract expires.
“The cricket board’s failure to work on my recommendations after the 2015 World Cup is the major reason for my disappointment,” said the 44-year-old former fast bowler, who has ended his second spell in charge.
“And the leak of a confidential report after the World T20 also influenced my decision. Ultimately, I want the betterment of Pakistan cricket and it is only right to walk away. I will, however, be available to help Pakistan in anyway,” he added.
Waqar made a formidable partnership with Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq to lift the team to number two in the Test rankings late last year, a spot they had previously attained in 2006.
The fast-bowling legend failed, however, to reverse Pakistan's fortunes in the game's shorter formats, with the team ranked a lowly seventh and eighth place in Twenty20 and one-day internationals respectively.
In his leaked report, Younis criticised the PCB's decision to not give him a say in the selection process and blasted the captaincy of Afridi.
“We lost to New Zealand, Asia Cup and the World T20 due to poor captaincy. Over several occasions, I had made it clear that Shahid Afridi was not performing with the bat, ball or as a captain but I was not listened to,” he said.