Brigadier Munawar Rana, the Pakistan Cricket Board's Director of Cricket Operations, has strongly denied reports in a section of the Pakistani press that Javed Miandad, the Pakistan team coach, is about to resign his post in the aftermath of the visitors' humiliating defeat in the five-match one-day series against New Zealand.

The reports claimed that the PCB had lost confidence in Miandad's competence, and that some of its officials wanted him to came back before the first Test between Pakistan and New Zealand gets underway in Auckland next Thursday.

Rana told CricInfo: "We do not have any problems with the coach of the team, nor does he have any problems with us. All is well in New Zealand; the team management has not sent us any reports that there is anything unsolicited going on between players and the coach. In fact, the team and coach are working hard together and we have not received any application from Javed or any indication that he wants to abandon his assignment mid-tour."

Meanwhile, according to a media release issued by the PCB, three players plus the trainer/nutritionist will be returning home from New Zealand after the squad is adjusted for the longer version of the game. The squad will be joined by Arshad Khan, Humayun Farhat, Younis Khan, and Misbah-ul-Haq. Those who are returning to Pakistan include Shoaib Akhtar, Imran Nazir and Shahid Afridi.

It had been earlier reported that Ijaz Ahmed was considered as a replacement, then rejected after Javed Miandad allegedly threatened to resign if Ijaz was chosen. Rana denied the reports, saying: "All changes made to the Pakistani squad are a result of mutual understanding and regular discussions between the Board and the team management."

The Brigadier added that these changes were inevitable. He said the PCB had informed the tour management beforehand that there would be three or four changes in the squad for the Test series, and that reports of the coach's refusal to accept Ijaz were untrue.

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