KARACHI (Reuters)
Pakistan coach Richard Pybus has joined his squad and said he hoped to make the team as good and consistent as world champions Australia. "That is my ambition and that is my goal that we aspire to be as good as the Australians," the South African told reporters afterarriving in Pakistan.

Pybus signed up to coach Pakistan for the next ten weeks, during which time the team will play Tests against Bangladesh, New Zealand and possibly India, as well as one-dayers against New Zealand and a tri-nation series in Sharjah during November.

Pybus, who coached the team through a tour to England this year, earlier refused a long-term contract. "This contract allows me to come and work with the players and I also go at the end of the series and spend some quality time with my daughter," he said.

Pakistan have had nine coaches over the last four years, with Pybus having worked with the team on three previous occasions. The only foreigner to coach the team, Pybus helped Pakistan reach the 1999 World Cup final in England but was sacked just three months into his first spell in the job.

Pybus said he wanted to see the Pakistan squad settle down. "I'd like to see Pakistan move away from chopping and changing. The PCB has been reiterating they want continuity at the highest level...that is why Australia has been playing fantastic cricket."

Pybus added that he may be interested in future spells as Pakistan coach. "After this tour, if the PCB and I agree, we can work on the West Indies series as well," he said.

Pakistan has lost its last four home series to Australia, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and England. The team open their current home season with an Asian Test Championship match against Bangladesh at Multan starting on August 29.

"I am here to do a job for Pakistan cricket. I am not interested in what happened previously, I am interested in what happens to us now," Pybus said. "You respect every opponent you come up against, you respect them and you respect the game of cricket... We will take this Test against Bangladesh as seriously as if we were playing anybody else. It was not so long ago that the Sri Lankans were presumed to be the whipping boys in cricket. Not anymore, they are right up there," Pybus added.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd