Negotiation on, PCB confident of catching Rhodes

Lahore, Apr 24 (UNI) The PCB is anything but giving up its pursuit for Jonty Rhodes and the board has air dashed one of its officials to South Africa to get a nod from the former Protea livewire to take up the job of fielding consultant with the Paksitani team.

According to PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan, the negotiations are on and the final response will come in a day or two.

''The official is carrying out negotiations with Rhodes at the moment and we should have a definite answer in the next two days.

But we are confident we will be able to sign him on a short-term basis to help out the senior team and the reserve-bench players,'' Media reports quoted Mr Khan as saying.

''I can not say for certain at this moment that we'll get him but we're keen to have him as our fielding consultant,'' he added.

Unarguably the best fielder the game has ever seen, Rhodes took the art of fielding to surreal heights stupefying batsmen and viewers with his acrobatic dives at the backward point region.

Rhodes, despite suffering form epilepsy, represented South Africa in 52 Tests and 245 ODIs during 1992-2002.

The PCB wants him to hire on short-term basis to help improve the notoriously sloppy Pakistani fielding before the tour to England this summer.

''Hopefully if things go well we should've him in Pakistan by next month and supervising the fielding sessions of the training camp of the Pakistan squad that goes to England,'' Mr Khan said.

Apparently, it was coach Bob Woolmer's suggestion to hire his former protege to teach the Pakistan team some tricks of the trade.

Woolmer has first-hand experience of Rhodes skills from his time as coach of South Africa in the '90s.

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