Pakistan's coach conundrum

KARACHI, July 17: Pakistan cricket has been riddled with controversy when it comes to captains and coaches and Geoff Lawson's appointment as the new coach is perhaps the first instance where a change has not been necessitated due to internal politics or poor results.
The Australian has been brought in to fill in the void left by former England player Bob Woolmer who died during the last World Cup in Kingston, Jamaica in March.
Lawson is the third foreigner appointed to this position in the last seven years.
While appointing coaches and captains, the Pakistani cricket authorities have been trigger-happy at making the changes which has resulted in Lawson being the 13th coach appointed since 1997.
Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad has served three terms and every time he has stepped down or been asked to quit was because of dressing room politics or one bad series.
South African Richard Pybus, who now coaches the South African provincial side Border, also had many stints with the Pakistan team, first as assistant coach and than twice as the head coach.
He resigned after Pakistan were eliminated in the first round of the 2003 World Cup while Woolmer also died one day after seeing Pakistan knocked out of the 2007 World Cup first round after losing to minnows Ireland.
Below is a list of coaches who have served with the Pakistan team since 1997:
Haroon Rasheed appointed coach in 1997.
Javed Miandad is appointed for the first time as coach in September, 1998 after Pakistan has a poor tour of South Africa.
Miandad resigns after problems with the players notably Wasim Akram, Shahid Afridi, Moin Khan and Saeed Anwar with match fixing accusations surfacing after a tournament in Sharjah in April 1999.
Mushtaq Mohammad is brought in as coach two weeks before the World Cup in England where Pakistan reach the final but lose to Australia. He is sacked in August 1999 with the national accountability cell of the government holding an inquiry about match fixing in Pakistan's defeat against Bangladesh and India.
Wasim Raja is named coach in September, 1999.
He does not last for long and two months later, Richard Pybus is appointed coach in November, 1999 before a tour of Australia.
Pybus sacked after just two months after Pakistan is whitewashed in the test series by Australia.
Intikhab Alam appointed coach in November, 1999.
Miandad returns in place of Intikhab, who gets the sack after a home series loss to Sri Lanka in March, 2000.
Miandad is again asked to step down after an ill-fated tour of New Zealand riddled again with disciplinary problems and players complaining about Miandad in April, 2001.
Mudassar Nazar takes over as coach in September, 2001 after Pybus doesn't come to Pakistan due to security concerns following the 9/11 attacks.
Mudassar summoned home midway through ICC Champions Trophy the following month and Pybus returns.
Pybus resigns in March, 2003 after Pakistan is eliminated in the first round of the 2003 World Cup and Miandad returns for his third term as coach.
Miandad is forced to step down after Pakistan loses Tests and One-dayers to arch rivals India at home in a series marred by internal problems in the home camp in April, 2004. He is replaced two months later by Bob Woolmer.
Woolmer dies during the World Cup from natural causes one day after Pakistan are shocked by Ireland and tumble out of the tournament.
July 2007: Former Australian fast bowler Geoff Lawson is announced as the new coach.