Now that our chances to reach further in the Cricket World Cup have become nil, we must do a threadbare analysis of what went wrong. One thing is certain: our players are very talented as far as individual capability is concerned. However, they fail to convert that into a match-winning strategy as a team. This is probably due to lack of training and poor leadership. They fail to realize that it takes team effort to win a match and not just two odd players.
Besides poor captaincy, the fault lies in selection too. At present, it is based on the past records of players. It should also include the player’s ability to judge the dictates of a match like pitch conditions, run rate etc. For example, bowlers should be able to curtail the run rate by changing their line and length if the situation dictates it and not just try to take wickets. Similarly, batsmen should be able to control their instinct to go for boundaries on every ball if the situation desires so.
Khalid Ismail, Islamabad