Before there was Michael Bevan or MS Dhoni, there was Dean Jones, the original ODI maestro. Making his debut in 1984, barely a decade after the format was introduced at the international level and had few stars, Jones went on to become one of the pioneers of modern ODI batting as he compiled 6068 ODI runs from 164 matches at an average of 44.61 and at the time, a rapid strike rate of 72.56 with 7 centuries. Unlike later ODI specialists though, Jones was equally adept at Test cricket, scoring 3631 Test runs at an average of 46.55 in the days of Marshall, Holding and Imran.

After retiring from cricket, Jones successfully transitioned to a role as an analyst, commentator and coach. Though there were some controversial moments in his career as an analyst, he has remained an omnipresent figure in cricketing circles, at one point being one of the front runners for the position of the Pakistan national team’s coach.

In an exclusive interview with PakPassion.net, Jones discusses Pakistan’s chances at the upcoming World Cup, Afridi's inability to bat with responsibility, the controversy surrounding West Indies cricket and Ahmed Shehzad’s development as a batsman among other things.

By Amir Husain (4th November, 2014)

PakPassion.net: Australia amongst all of the teams look like front runners for the World Cup. Who do you think are their main rivals?

Dean Jones: The favourite, without a doubt to me, is South Africa. They have got bowlers who can bowl at the top end, bowlers who can bowl in the middle and at the death but what sets them apart are the batters. Bowlers win you Test matches and batsmen win you One Day matches. Faf Du Plessis, Ab De Villiers and Hashim Amla look really strong and they can play on bouncy swinging pitches, where the two new white balls can get through players if they've got a bit of a weakness with their back foot defence and where it's also important to understand how to hit the ball down to third man.

I think they will definitely make the semi-finals and I think Australia will as well. I think Sri Lanka will also have a good chance but only if Lasith Malinga is fit and if he is not, then I've got a query about Sri Lanka's chances. Also New Zealand plays well in World Cups and we know that because history tells us that. India is a question mark for me, batters aren't in great form, they don't cope well with the swinging ball down south and it all depends on how well they play the Test matches (in Australia), funnily enough to me. If some of the Indian guys hit good form and play in Australia and get runs, then that'll bleed into their One Day match performances. That is how I look at India's chances. The others, I'm struggling to see them make an impact.


PakPassion.net: If one just looks at current form, then it would appear that Mitchell Johnson will simply run through all batting line ups at the World Cup - He won't even need a partner to do so! With Johnson in that form, the Australian bowling attack is a formidable one. Do you think Australia is in that place?

Dean Jones: No, I don't think they are in a good place bowling wise, I think they are getting smashed at the death, they don't have a death bowler and there have been plenty of times when they've gone for 90 runs or more in the last ten overs, so they are struggling to bowl their defensive lines and lengths. Whereas South Africa have got Morkel, Steyn and the rest, these boys are in better form and they just have a better idea of where they are going.


PakPassion.net: What do you think are Pakistan’s chances at the World Cup?

Dean Jones: Their batters are a problem, their best batsman up to now has been Sarfraz Ahmed and that's not good enough for you. Shahid Afridi really needs to come through and do something special. Look at all the past greats and let's also look at the history of World Cups. When Pakistan won the 1992 World Cup, Ramiz and these guys did a great job and they finished it off well with Aaqib Javed, Inzamam of course and Wasim Akram. Also Imran Khan batted well at number 4 a couple of times. They made a lot of runs, they didn't start well but as they played they slowly adapted to the conditions and had a bit of luck with the weather in the England match but ultimately it's your batsmen who did the job. That was then but for the current line-up, I've got a query about Pakistan’s batters under pressure.


PakPassion: What are your thoughts on the WICB issue? Who do you blame?

Dean Jones: I will say again that I fully understand where West Indies cricket is, I fully understand that the players need to be paid. But the player power is really poor within the West Indies; they just haven't worked it out. Now let's look at it like this, this has been the ninth time a tour has been abandoned since 1977. People have been killed, massive riots, assassinations, all these things, bombs and other problems. West Indies are the only ones that have gone home because of a pay dispute, like, really?!

They really didn't think it through. I even think that, what I believe, and my people tell me that there is some sympathy from the BCCI with the West Indian players, but don't bring this stuff halfway through a tour and use that as leverage. What they (players) should have done was say to the BCCI, we want some advice about this from you and can you help us out. They need to understand India provides all the dough and they are the big bosses there whether they like it or not. They should have said well we're not going to come to India in the first place so can you please fit Sri Lanka, Bangladesh or whoever in that spot and then BCCI would have had time to fit that in.

But now since they left halfway through a tour they've left them in a huge mess and now that's left BCCI in a litigation situation with broadcasters, major sponsors and corporate partners. And they've got every chance they can get sued which would be followed by West Indies getting sued. The worst outcome is that if they do sue them for $70 million and the WICB become insolvent. So technically they could be disbanded and broken up and the only way we can see them play would be if Trinidad, Barbados, and Jamaica become playing countries. I don't think that WILL happen but that can easily happen. The player power, they just haven't worked it through and now we hear that some of the players might be playing in the IPL. They just haven't worked it through; they've been dummies, instead of working with the BCCI and the friends they made through the IPL, they should have said we are are coming over, can you help us with this situation? Instead they have acted irresponsibly.


PakPassion.net: You’ve seen Ahmed Shehzad play, what are your thoughts on him? How do you see him progressing, do you have any advice for him?

Dean Jones: Let's talk about the cricket aspect of this first. He has got to work on his defence a lot more. His forward defence has a weakness such that he doesn't like to let the ball go although his back foot defence is pretty good. He's got a problem technically in a few areas and he does move around the crease a little too much. He's a good player and can become a better player, although his mates think he's already there.

He has made a few centuries already and tends to strut around like he's made 15 centuries already, but he's got to have that, he’s got to have that little bit of arrogance and the belief in his own ability so I've got no problem with that but you’ve got to back it up as well.

Also to get involved into religious stuff, it's just... What’s he thinking?! There needs to be less talking and more action and he has to start to become a leader. The players probably do respect what he says but when you’re not making runs and your failing and being shown up by your wicket-keeper who is making more runs than you, then you really need to have a good look in the mirror and say how can I become a better player? How can I be a really good player? Has he got a mentor like Ramiz Raja, Javed Miandad or someone like that to talk to? I don’t know, but if he doesn't then he should get one, because he needs one.


PakPassion.Net: Do you have similar advice for Umar Akmal as well? Why is he not up there with the very best and what is he doing wrong?

Dean Jones: With Umar, God gave him an ability, he got that for nothing, he got that for free because that is what God gave him. To become a great Test player you need talent, more importantly than that you need application, discipline and being smart about your game.

He has been given close to a 100 ODI matches and still we see irresponsible ways. Is he trying to be like Shahid Afridi or someone else? Ultimately, and I've told him this, and I'll tell you, that it's not your offensive way that you play the game that will keep you in the Pakistani team but it's the quality of your defensive game. 70% of his game must be based on defence and it’s not. His defence is not good enough, he can't keep a good bowler out for three overs because he wants to smash them and then they knock him over.

His blood boils, he tends to think he can whack a guy over here and over there. Now there's probably one innings that he played so well that he did it really well and we know he can do that because of his talent. But to actually have longevity in the game you need to think where you are at and be one step ahead of what the bowlers are up to and he just doesn't play the percentage game.

Have a look at Sachin Tendulkar, Javed Miandad and Inzamam-ul-Haq. They had a bit of flamboyance no doubt, they were great players, but what was so great about them was that they had great defence and a strong mind. His weakness is that he doesn't have a strong mind and he doesn't have any respect for defence or doesn't understand how important defence is, until he realises that he is in trouble! Now what's happened, he has left an opportunity and a small one for Sarfraz to come in and what has he done? Gotten an opportunity and grabbed it with both hands and said thank you very much, that's all I needed and now you (Umar Akmal) may have to wait four years before you can get back into the team.


PakPassion.net: What is the reason for the panic in the Pakistani ODI team batting line-up, why can't they do the simple things right?

Dean Jones: A simple thing would be like hitting balls into holes - and that's not necessarily simple. It all boils down to understanding your game, such as when you’re facing a spinner you've got to hit targets. Now what I call a target is a boundary rider, deep mid-off, deep long on, deep point, deep square leg. If you’re any good, whatever line and length the spinner bowls you should be able to hit one of those targets, and consistently keep ticking the ball over and that’s what they don’t do - well they can’t do. Do they practice enough? probably not. Can they drop the ball at their feet when it's back of a length? Can they drop the ball within one meter and then pinch a single? No they don't!

They think by blazing away in the Shahid Afridi way is going to win them games, well it doesn’t. You've got to think and try to get your strike rate to around 80 runs per 100 balls; you need these guys to try and go out there and not play with T20 strike rates. To beat great teams you have to turn up for 100 overs not for 70 overs not 60 overs. They just don’t give themselves a chance.

You can start off slowly and make 10 runs off 20-30 balls but you know that at the death, you can whack it. So that’s basically where their weaknesses are. They've got to ask themselves which bowlers can I attack, what’s his worst ball, is it a slower ball, is it a top spinner etc. See, the Australians have a dossier and no doubt the South Africans do as well, dossiers on every bowler in the world. What's his slow ball or slow off-spinners, leg spinners? You see whether he bowl’s wide of the crease, what length does he tend to bowl when under pressure, these type of things.

I don't think these boys think this through and think out of the box to have a dossier or a library. You see the game is about knowledge and it's about understanding the opposition and what they are up to and then also knowing what you can do to counter that under pressure.

I wasn't a great inside out player over mid-off or cover like Javed or Viv were, but I knew my hitting areas were mid-on, mid-wicket or straight and when under pressure I would target those areas. We have guys in the Pakistan team who are trying to do lap sweeps and whip balls through mid-wicket. They just don't play the percentages right. As simple as that.


PakPassion.net: We have one player Sarfraz Ahmed sweeping all kinds of bowlers, what do you think of Sarfraz, is he simply a one trick pony and only effective on some pitches?

Dean Jones: When you make a couple of Test centuries already you’re not a one trick pony. He can improve and yes he'll be frustrating at times because you get into a groove sometimes when you don't pick the ball up that well and then get into a bad rut. I am not sure sweeping the fast bowlers is a good thing as he could easily end up in the hospital on faster pitches.


PakPassion.net: Shahid Afridi - what can he do to regain his batting form?

Dean Jones: He is my friend and I have spoken to him on many occasions about this so I will say the same here – he needs to grow his game. He needs to take more responsibility. I am sure he has lost Pakistan at least two games in recent ODIs due to a lack of responsibility. He is your best leg spinner and I believe he will also be good for Pakistan in Tests. If making him captain in Tests can bring the best out of him, then he should be considered for that position. Yes he resigned before but that doesn’t mean he cannot come back as captain!


PakPassion.net: Johnson, Steyn or Anderson, whose the best pace bowler at the moment?

Dean Jones: Johnson by a long way and without any hesitation! He is a bowler that batsmen fear. They feel that they can end up in the hospital if they face him and that is a great advantage he has. Other bowlers can do that once in a while but Johnson can do this consistently. In his previous spell, he was a good bowler but now, he has found a new friend – that friend is bounce and that is what is disconcerting for any batsmen to deal with and that is what makes him the best fast bowler at the moment.


PakPassion.net: What are your impressions of Yasir Shah?

Dean Jones: He's a great prospect. He gets good drift therefore he has good revs on the ball. He just needs to get good consistency about him, although he generates good power from the crease. There is a little bit of Abdul Qadir in him when he let's the ball go, in his release which is a good thing but he has to get the ball in the box area for it to be effective.

Discuss!