After their long experiment with foreign coaches, the Pakistan Cricket Board finally decided to do away with them and instead roped in their own former players. Now it is an all Pakistan affair, barring the physio, who is an Englishman.
Legendary batsman Zaheer Abbas is the chief cricket consultant and batting coach and will accompany the team on all tours. Moin Khan is the coach while Mohammad Akram and Shoaib Mohammad will be the bowling and fielding coaches respectively.
The appointment of Abbas was widely welcomed by the players. A stylish batsman, he is known for his deep knowledge of the game. In fact, skipper Misbah-ul-Haq had strongly pleaded for a batting coach. “Every team has a strong support staff which is very useful for the players,” he had said.
Abbas said the PCB’s decision to have their own players is a welcome move. “We should trust in our own players. We have many former players who are capable of helping the team,” he said.
The revival of Shahid Afridi as a batsman was credited to Abbas’ calming influence, a fact Haq acknowledged. One does not know how long this experiment will last because PCB has a reputation of sacking coaches at short notice. It is partly working in the on-going Asia Cup as Pakistan won close matches against India and Bangladesh. A bigger test awaits them in the forthcoming T20 World Cup.
Meanwhile, yet another failure by India could add pressure on Duncan Fletcher, Joe Dawes and Trevor Penny. The tours of England, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand have produced poor results. Hence, Fletcher’s role has come under severe scrutiny. He has been blamed for India’s continued slide. Dawes’ credentials have also been questioned.
Even in seamer-friendly conditions of South Africa and New Zealand, Dawes did not extract the desired results from the fast bowlers. There are already rumours floating around that he would not be retained for the 2015 World Cup. It has led to comments from former Indian players that Venkatesh Prasad had done a better job than Dawes. “If fast bowler like Mohammed Shami continues to make silly mistakes, then what is the role of Dawes? Shami is clearly uncomfortable while bowling to the left-handed batsman and it is the coach’s job to rectify it,” said a former player.
The BCCI should have faith in former Indian players. Someone like TA Sekhar, who worked under Dennis Lillee at the MRF Pace Foundation, could be considered. The think-tank should also consider bringing a spinners’ coach. Perhaps, Anil Kumble could fit in, guiding them with small tips that could help them improve their performances. Aware of the demands of the modern game, the shrewd Kumble could be the right man. Australia, keeping in mind the slow wickets in Bangladesh, has included Shane Warne in the support staff for the T20 World Cup.