Miandad was unhappy at the criticism levelled at him

Pakistan have sacked coach Javed Miandad after losing the recent Test series to India.

Miandad will be replaced by former England batsman Bob Woolmer, who is currently the International Cricket Council's high performance director.

Pakistan lost the Test series 2-1, which was the first time they had played India at home for 15 years.

Miandad was contracted until April 2005 but had made it known he was unhappy at the criticism levelled at him.

"His contract has been terminated," PCB chairman Shahryar Khan told a news conference.

"We offered him to serve as national cricket advisor but he has declined.

"I feel sorry for Miandad but the India defeat did show up some flaws in the team and lack of morale and we need to invest in the future."

Woolmer is regarded as a pioneer and is highly respected Shahryar Khan

Miandad was one of Pakistan's greatest ever batsmen, scoring 8,832 runs in 124 Tests and 7,381 in 233 one-day international appearances, and was a member of the 1992 World Cup-winning side.

Previous spells as coach ended in 1999 and 2001, but he was re-appointed following the team's first round exit from last year's World Cup in South Africa.

Expectations were high on both sides ahead of India's first full series in Pakistan for 15 years, but ultimately it was the tourists who had the edge.

A totally uncalled for decision. What was Miandad's fault? He rebuilt the team after the 2003 World Cup debacle! From General Relativity Have your say on TMS

They won the one-day series 3-2 and then triumphed by an innings and 131 runs in the deciding Test in Rawalpindi to secure a 2-1 victory.

The PCB's response was to order a full investigation into a series of injuries which hampered the team's chances.

And the PCB was recently summoned by parliament to explain why the team had been defeated by India.

Woolmer has signed a contract until the World Cup in 2007.

Khan added: "We have convinced Bob Woolmer to take over as coach.

My challenge is to help them maximise their potential and become more consistent Bob Woolmer

"It was not easy to get a coach of Woolmer's status, who is a pioneer and highly respected, but through negotiations we have convinced him to take the job before the Asia Cup until the 2007 World Cup in West Indies."

Woolmer will join the squad on 2 July before they head to Sri Lanka to defend their Asia Cup title.

The 56-year-old said: "It's no secret that Pakistan has an incredible stream of raw talent and that they have often failed to do themselves justice in recent years.

"My challenge is to help them maximise their potential and become more consistent. The immediate aim will be to get to know the players personally, understand how they think and train and become sympathetic to their culture."

The Cup tournament takes place between 16 July and 1 August.