Pakistan sack Lawson

Geoff Lawson has been removed as coach of Pakistan © Getty Images

The Pakistan Cricket Board has sacked national team coach Geoff Lawson.

New PCB chairman Ijaz Butt earlier this week revealed Lawson’s contract would not be renewed when it expired in April 2009.

But the PCB has now confirmed that Lawson has been removed from his post just 15 months after the former Australia paceman took the job.

Lawson has endured a testy relationship with the local media and had been widely criticised by former players over his management regime and lack of results.

Butt had stated immediately after taking over as chairman from Nasim Ashraf earlier this month that he would not favour Lawson continuing to coach the team.

However, he claimed Lawson could not be instantly removed for financial reasons, but the coach has now been given three months' severance pay.

Ashraf, who resigned in August just after Pervez Musharraf stepped down as the country's president, had appointed Lawson on a two-year deal in August last year.

Lawson, 50, was named Pakistan coach in July last year after Pakistan's early exit at the World Cup in March.

Calls for his removal intensified when Pakistan lost to Sri Lanka in the final of the four-nation Twenty20 event in Canada earlier this month.