Under pressure Pakistan national team coach Geoff Lawson was dramatically sacked on Friday with immediate effect.

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

The PCB confirmed on its official website, www.pcboard.com.pk, that Lawson had now 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 a 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, according to the PCB website.

Butt lashed out at Lawson at a media conference earlier this week, saying he was "useless".

Butt later sought to tone down his remarks, telling The Dawn: "As the PCB chairman I am duty-bound to fully back Lawson and to take care of all his liabilities.

"What I said in the press conference was my personal opinion which I had also given to former chairman of PCB Nasim Ashraf."

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.