We need to harness talent like they do in Australia Imran Khan

Imran captained Pakistan to World Cup glory in 1992 but saw his country crash out at the first-round stage in the 2003 event.

Now a member of parliament who leads the Movement for Justice Party, Imran has revealed he is to return to coaching.

And his calls for a change to the structure of the domestic game have led to a revamp of first-class cricket by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

"After Pakistan's disappointing performance in the World Cup, a lot of my friends asked me to help Pakistan cricket," said Imran at the launch of a regional cricket clinic programme in Karachi on Wednesday.

Full story: Imran calls for re-think

"And despite my commitments in politics I have agreed to help with coaching. I want to pay back what this country has given me."

Imran called on his compatriots to follow the lead of Australia, who in March celebrated their second consecutive World Cup victory.

"Pakistan has a lot of talent but we need to harness that talent like they do in Australia, which has enabled them to rule the cricket world," he said.

"A player in Australia is ready for international cricket once he comes out of their academies and first-class competitions, which is not there in our part of the world."

Speaking to BBC Sport recently, Imran claimed first-class cricket is unpopular in Pakistan because it is based around corporate institutions rather than city teams.

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PCB chief executive Ramiz Raja said a new first-class structure was among the many steps taken by the board to improve the standard of the game in Pakistan.

Raja added: "It is nice to have a person like Imran Khan's stature on board.

"Through these regional clinics and competitive first class competitions we will set a strong foundation."

Since the World Cup, an over-hauled Pakistan team has won the Sharjah Cup and reached the final of a one-day triangular tournament in Sri Lanka.

Pakistan are next in action in England in June, taking on the hosts in the three-match NatWest Challenge.