Pakistan’s current batting woes have been the subject of much debate during the current series against Australia in the UAE. With the fate of the ODI series decided in the visitor’s favour due to a 5 wicket loss for Pakistan in Dubai, it has become abundantly evident that the current batting lineup is struggling to compete against the top teams of the world. This is a fact which does not bode well for captain Misbah-ul-Haq and his team as they look to build a squad that could be considered as serious contenders for the 2015 World Cup to be played in Australia and New Zealand. 

Former Pakistan great Javed Miandad has been an outspoken critic of the current cricket setup in Pakistan and in an exclusive interview with PakPassion.net, spoke about why he feels that the exclusion of Younis Khan from the one day squad is not a well thought out decision and sheds light on Pakistan’s current struggles against Australia in the UAE.

By Amir Husain (11th October, 2014)

The lack of logic in the exclusion of Younis Khan from the ODI squad

“Like all other teams, we need to be clear why we are or are not selecting particular players. There is no one player that fits the bill for all possible surfaces around the world. We have to be intelligent and realize that we don’t have a pool full of match winners to choose from as is quite evident from our current performance.”

“People need to understand that pitches will be different in Australia/New Zealand and a different type of player is required for those pitches than the one who can succeed in UAE/Sri Lanka etc”.

“My view is that fielding, apart from anything, is a major factor in selection of any player. A player like Younis Khan who can save 30 runs on the field and then score just 10 runs is worth more than one who scores 30 runs but gives away 100 runs in the field!” 

“Our issue is that the selectors and team management have no idea of how to select a squad for the World Cup. I played 6 World Cups so I feel I know a little more than some of the people entrusted with making these decisions.”

“Laptops and qualifications are not the way to select World Cup winning squads as it’s important to have an ‘eye’ for talent or an understanding of what strengths are needed to support the batting lineup during the World Cup. Unfortunately this ability is not present in the current setup we have.”


The current state of Pakistan’s batting lineup and the role of coaches

“We have players at the moment who are more interested in what they wear and what they apply on their hair rather than how they bat against spin!” 

“They fret about their weight and physical shape and how much weight they can lift, but they are mentally weak and no amount of gym work will solve that issue. Look at the legends of the past like Zaheer Abbas or Majid Khan or even someone like myself – we were physically puny in comparison to current cricketers but can anyone doubt our consistency in batting and our records?" 

"I would also like to question the role of the batting coaches. What exactly are they achieving here when Pakistan batting is collapsing like a pack of cards at the first sign of pressure? Who is answerable for their performance?”


Misbah-ul-Haq’s current run of poor form and the effect on the team

“Let’s be clear that Misbah-ul-Haq is not the problem in the current situation. You have so called stars who are able to play well in one game and then flop in the next three games. Then you have Shahid Afridi who has been around forever and who is still trying to hit every ball for six without planning when every team knows that he has a weakness against the short ball. Anyone in that situation should know how to fix his problem or at least the coaches should be able to see that problem and look to rectify it! “

“All that has happened is that whereas Misbah used to score and dig Pakistan out of trouble in the past, he is failing to do so due to his own bad form. Everything else around him has remained the same.”

“Misbah should not be criticized and blamed for losses due to his own form. He is there to lead and his leadership is more important on the field than runs, although his personal form is allowing his critics to heap pressure on him which is not helping his situation.”

“The simple fact is that we are unable to produce players of caliber and this is a worry. What we are seeing in the current series is a logical culmination of our years of neglect and mismanagement at the highest level. I have suggested a decentralization of PCB’s authority to allow regions to develop their own talent but this has fallen on deaf ears and I have been ignored. Instead we have developed a culture of “yes men” who have no desire to improve Pakistan cricket and the results are there to see for everyone.”

Discuss!