Mickey Arthur 'seeks time' from PCB to respond to head coach offer.

LAHORE -- Former South African coach Mickey Arthur has sought some time from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to respond to its offer of becoming head coach of the national team once again, sources told media on Monday.

The South African coach currently has a three-year contract with the English county Derbyshire, and according to sources, he would be able to respond to the PCB after speaking to the county club.

Sources said that Arthur would respond to the PCB after speaking to the county club.

Newly-appointed chairman of the PCB's management committee, Najam Sethi, had hinted at hiring a foreign coach for the team as the contracts of Saqlain Mushtaq and Shaun Tait, Pakistan's current head and bowling coach, expires on February 9.

Arthur, who is expected to land in Pakistan in a few weeks, had earlier coached the national team between 2016 and 2019, during which Pakistan also won the Champions Trophy.

Meanwhile, former fast bowler Umar Gul has emerged as a strong candidate to replace Tait as bowling coach after the interim chief selector Shahid Afridi also recommended his appointment for the bowling coach slot.

The Pakistani cricket team has recently been struggling with defeats, bad performances and injuries.

Pakistan twice returned from the brink of defeat to force a 0-0 draw in the two-test series against New Zealand, which followed a...