Team gelled well in Zimbabwe - Waqar

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Waqar Younis: "I am happy and a satisfied man and have learnt a lot during my tenure [as coach]." © AFP

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Pakistan had gelled well as a unit on their successful tour of Zimbabwe, outgoing coach Waqar Younis has said. Pakistan had played one Test, three ODIs and two Twenty20s during the recently concluded tour, with a 100% win record.

"I think there is no need to say much as results speak for themselves," Waqar told AFP after the team returned to Pakistan. "We won all the matches on the tour and the players gelled well to give this good performance."

He was pleased with his stint as coach, he said. "I am happy and a satisfied man and have learnt a lot during this tenure." Waqar had announced before the tour of Zimbabwe that he would be stepping down for personal reasons after 18 months as coach. He will now head to Australia, where his family resides, to undergo treatment on his liver.

Waqar took over as coach of the national side in March 2010, in the aftermath of a dismal tour of Australia on which Pakistan failed to win a game. He replaced Intikhab Alam and his stint coincided with a turbulent phase for Pakistan cricket. The spot-fixing controversy erupted during the 2010 tour of England and the wicketkeeper, Zulqarnain Haider, fled to London while Pakistan was involved in a series against South Africa in the UAE later in the year.

On the field though, Pakistan enjoyed a successful tour of New Zealand under Waqar, prior to the 2011 World Cup, where they reached the semi-finals. They also beat West Indies 3-2 in an ODI series in the Caribbean, but the tour was marred by his differences with then limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi over discipline.

Current captain Misbah-ul-Haq said he was "on the same frequency" as Waqar whenever the two worked together. "He [Waqar] did very well and during his stints we, as a team, progressed well," Misbah said. "I hope that the experience gained during the [Zimbabwe] tour will serve us well during the upcoming series against Sri Lanka."

Pakistan play three Tests, five ODIs and a lone Twenty20 against Sri Lanka in the UAE between October 18 and November 25.