LAHORE: Former Pakistan first class cricketer Mohtashim Rasheed has been appointed as fielding coach of the national senior team for one year by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). 

Mohtashim, who has played 23 matches with 532 runs, 48 wickets and only 10 catches, served in the same capacity during last year’s South Africa and India series. It is interesting to note that Pakistan’s fielding level dropped down further during Mohtashim’s short stint. This was evident during Calcutta and Bangalore Tests against India where captain Shoaib Malik and his comrades gave pathetic performance in the field.

The 39-year-old Mohtashim is younger brother of former Pakistan Test cricketer Haroon Rasheed, who also served as coach of the national outfit in the year 1997. Presently Haroon is working as PCB’s youth development programme chairman. Mohtashim, who represented House Building Finance Corporation (HBFC), Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, Karachi, Hyderabad and Pakistan Customs from 1993-94 – 2004-05, also worked as bowling coach of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore.

Sources told Daily Times on Wednesday that Mohtashim would be getting a lucrative salary package of Rs 150,000 plus winning bonuses and some other perks. “He has received his appointment letter. Mohtashim will work under coach Geoff Lawson. He will train young cricketers at the NCA when the national team is not busy playing any series at home or abroad,” sources added.

Mohtashim will be the first professional fielding coach of the squad. Before him the PCB, under chairman Shahryar Khan, appointed former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes as fielding coach for a two-week training programme. But that experiment did not yield any fruitful results. Mohtashim’s six brothers – Haroon, Umar Rasheed, Mahmood Rasheed, Ahmad Rasheed, Tahir Rasheed and Farooq Rasheed – have played first class cricket for Pakistan.