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Arthur appointed Pakistan head coach

Former Australian and South African mentor appointed by PCB following Waqar Younis's resignation

Former Australia and South Africa mentor Mickey Arthur has been appointed Pakistan head coach, the Pakistan Cricket Board has announced.

Arthur takes over the job vacated by Waqar Younis at the end of the ICC World T20 last month, his third appointment as an international head coach.

"Following the resignation of Waqar Younis as head coach last month, the PCB embarked on a transparent process of inviting applications for the position of head coach,” the PCB said in a statement.

"A panel was appointed comprising Wasim Akram, Ramiz Raja and Faisal Mirza to make recommendations to the PCB. The panel received and reviewed applications (and) forwarded four applications to the PCB for it to make a final decision."

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Arthur is expected to join the Pakistan team at the end of the month, ahead of their next international assignment - a tour of England in July, where they will play four Tests, five ODIs and one Twenty20 international.

The 47-year-old, who played 110 first class games in South Africa, was in charge of the Proteas from 2005 to 2010, leading the team to No.1 across all three formats during his tenure.

He then served as Australia head coach from 2011 to 2013, before being sacked on the eve of the 2013 Ashes in the wake of the ‘homework-gate’ controversy.

Other potential coaches shortlisted by the PCB were former Australian batsmen Stuart Law and Dean Jones, and former Afghanistan and New Zealand coach Andy Moles.

The PCB reportedly offered the role to Law earlier this week, with the Queenslander turning down the position having already committed to a stint as fill-in Australia batting coach during the Qantas tour of Sri Lanka in July and August.

Pakistan have had four foreign coaches in the past: Richard Pybus (two tenures in 1999 and 2002-03), Bob Woolmer (2004-07), Geoff Lawson (2007-2008) and Dav Whatmore (2012-14).

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