**Legends attack Lawson appointment **
Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad slammed the appointment of Australian Geoff Lawson as the team’s new coach.
Miandad, who played 124 Tests and had three spells as coach up to 2004, said: "How can you expect a foreigner to have the patriotism a Pakistani does?
"Instead of bringing in foreigners the Pakistan board should first try to improve the grass-root cricket level.
“If foreign coaches can guarantee a certain level of performance, fine. Otherwise it is a waste of money.”
Another former Pakistan captain Intikhab Alam, who held a managerial role when Pakistan won the World Cup in 1992, also questioned the appointment of another foreign coach to succeed the late Bob Woolmer.
“I have nothing against Lawson but he should be prepared for a lot of criticism and a hard time,” he said. (and yes I’ll gladly be the first one to bash you)
"The board should first try to find out if we really need a foreign coach and then take a decision. I believe some of our players are equally good and capable of delivering results.
Legendary batsman Zaheer Abbas, who scored over 5,000 Test runs and who worked with the team in an administrative role during Woolmer’s reign, was angered when news of the new appointment was made by Lawson himself in the Australian media before the result of a Pakistan board meeting to discuss the issue was announced.
“What was the purpose of having the meeting if the board had already taken a decision?” he said
Zaheer also suggested a member of the Pakistan squad, either recent or current, should have been chosen as the new man at the helm. “I worked as manager with Woolmer and I can say our own players are equally good,” he insisted.
SOURCE: BBC SPORT | Cricket | International Teams | Pakistan | Legends attack Lawson appointment
