Reuters

Sydney, Jul 16: Former Australian Test bowler Geoff Lawson told local media on Monday that he had been appointed Pakistan's new cricket coach.

The 49-year-old told Sky News that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had contacted him on Sunday and confirmed he would be appointed as full-time successor to Bob Woolmer [Images], who died of suspected heart failure during the World Cup in March.

"It's a challenge," said Lawson. "I think it's a wonderful challenge to have because they have such a talented squad and coming off that poor World Cup when they were beaten by Ireland and all the things that accompanied that.

"When you look at the class of player they have you've just got to be excited in being involved with them."

Lawson said he and his coaching staff would be going to Lahore [Images] in the next month to start the team's preparations for the Twenty20 Cricket World Cup in South Africa in September

Lawson, who took 180 wickets in 46 Tests for Australia between 1980 and 1989, has never coached before at international level.

He beat two fellow Australians to the post, former Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore and the International Cricket Council's high performance manager Richard Done.

The PCB said it would officially confirm the new coach later on Monday.

"The board has decided to go along with Lawson as his appointment was backed by the players and also manager Talat Ali in recent meetings with the board chairman," a PCB source told Reuters last week.

"The players felt that Lawson had a very positive attitude towards the game and was an easy person to get along with."

Lawson, a trained optometrist, had been working with state side New South Wales and has developed a media commentary career since his retirement from the game.