Batting coach is of the view that the selectors should give more opportunities
to second string batsmen like Shan Masood
MOHALI, India: Grant Flower doesn’t know whether he has any future with the Pakistan team after Shahid Afridi and Co crashed out of the World Twenty20 championship following a 21-run loss against Australia here on Friday, writes Khalid Hussain.
But whether he stays on or is shown the door, the former Zimbabwean Test batsman is concerned about the overall health of the Pakistan team.
“From where I see it, some of the boys don’t play from the heart,” he told ‘The News’ in an interview on Friday, just hours before Pakistan’s final Group 2 match against the Aussies.
“Unless the effort comes from within you can’t do anything about it,” he said.
Still baffled at the way Pakistan threw away their must-win game against New Zealand on Tuesday from a seemingly winning situation, Flower said that the country’s cricket chiefs will have to take drastic steps to put the national team back on track.
“There are plenty of problems, especially in our batting,” said Flower who played 67 Tests and 221 One-day Internationals between 1992-2000.
“(Some of the batsmen) lack focus. They lack proper preparations that are needed before a major event like a world cup.
“With this kind of attitude you cannot compete at the international level.”
Flower, 45, is of the view that Pakistan should stop pinning hopes on the current lot and stresses that it is time that Pakistan cricket’s think-tank and the selectors start taking the country’s second string players more seriously.
But does he think that Pakistan’s bench strength is strong enough to bolster their batting especially in the Twenty20 format?
“I’m absolutely sure,” he said. “I’ve seen some of the second tier batsmen and I must say that they have potential.”
On the top of his favoured list is Babar Azam, the 21-year-old batsman from Lahore, who has played nine One-day Internationals for Pakistan scoring 375 runs at an average of 46.87.
The talented Babar was part of Pakistan’s World Twenty20 plans but the youngster was ruled out because of a wrist injury.
Flower also believes that young and fit batters like Sami Aslam and Shan Masood can be groomed into world-class limited-overs batsmen.
“Players like Shan Masood are very talented and have the right attitude. They should be groomed for limited-overs formats.”
Flower predicted that Pakistan face a tricky tour of England this summer.
“The England team are a tough opponent to beat especially in home conditions,” he said.
But he is expecting that since the series will take place at the height of the English summer, Pakistan will hold some edge in the spin department.
“We have two quality spinners in Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar and I think they will be key players for Pakistan in England.”
