Mudassar Nazar has been sacked as Pakistan's coach after a series of dismal team performances. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hope that the South African-based coach, Richard Pybus, can be persuaded to return to the role. Pybus, however, has already been hired and fired twice by the PCB, and last September he refused to travel to Pakistan because of security fears. A PCB spokesman explained the decision: "Mudassar had a detailed meeting in Rawalpindi with Lt Gen Tauqir Zia [the PCB chairman], and has relinquished his duties. He will revert to the role of National Cricket Academy coach in Lahore."

Mudassar, who opened the batting for Pakistan in 76 Tests between 1976 and 1989, is the just the latest coach to come and go in a stampede that began in 1997. Javed Miandad, Intikhab Alam and Pybus have all been sacked twice, while Haroon Rashid, Mushtaq Mohammad and Wasim Raja complete the set.

The spokesman added that Pybus would be arriving in Pakistan for preliminary talks on September 20 or 21. Whether he can transform Pakistan's fortunes, however, is debatable, especially as Australia await next month. The team will be deprived of the services of Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Wasim Akram, who have all withdrawn from the series, while the captaincy of Waqar Younis has come under severe scrutiny in recent weeks.

Mudassar himself was phlegmatic about his dismissal: "I am not at all disappointed," he said, "because my contract was performance-related.

"There is no rift in the team; the only problem I see is that players feel burn-out. If Pakistan wants to win the World Cup senior players should be given proper rest."

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd