Jones in contention for Pakistan cricket coach`s job

Melbourne: Former Australian batsman Dean Jones has confirmed applying for the post of Pakistan cricket coach.

Jones hasn`t got official information from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) but he is reported to among the five men shortlisted for the job along with former England all-rounder Dermot Reeve and local applicant Aaqib Javed. "I believe I am in the last five," Jones was quoted as saying in the media. "I have always wanted to coach and the opportunity came along so I put my hand up." Pakistan cricket off late has been rocked by terrorism and the spot-fixing scandal. But Jones feels there is a lot of talent in Pakistan and that together they can achieve a lot of things. "Ultimately it comes down to the defensive part of their game that needs to be worked on, and that just comes down to proper drills and attention to detail," Jones said. "Take out what has happened with the betting scandal, take out the security problems, everyone in the world who knows cricket knows they have always had a wonderful pool of talent. It`s just a matter of getting the culture right, getting them to take ownership of their actions, working together and who knows, they could win a World Cup in three years time." The fellow countryman Geoff Lawson sacked as Pakistan coach in 2008, but that has not deterred Jones. "There`s always obstacles in any job," Jones said. ``I`m careful of those [political] factors that might come into it. They (the PCB) are passionate, they don`t like losing and they tend to be reactive instead of proactive on decisions but if you paint the picture early as to where we want to go - we`ve got to find stability, pick our best 16 or 17 players and work with them for the one-dayers and Tests - I think they will do very well." Mohsin Khan, Pakistan`s chief selector, will double as interim coach for the next series against Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates. IANS