Aaqib blames management for ‘poor show’ in England

LAHORE: Former Test fast bowler Aaqib Javed has blamed the coaching staff of the national team for what he called poor show in England. Talking to ‘The News’ on Wednesday, he said the coaching staff should work on the shortcomings of the players instead of going home.

“At the end of the series, everyone goes home. The team management selects popular players to avoid criticism. Why was Iftikhar Ahmed given so much importance.

Waqar Younis has coached four times. Name any one player that he has developed,” he added. “Similarly, Mushtaq Ahmed has been associated with the board for years. Is the crisis of spinners over?

It’s time to sit at the National High Performance Centre and work out how to save Shan Masood from Anderson, how to find a replacement for Asad Shafiq. In England, we lost the Test series due to wrong selection and also failed to win the Twenty20 series due to wrong selection,” said Aqib, who is director of Lahore Qalandars Cricket Operations.

“Wahab Riaz played the last match and everyone saw the difference in bowling. He still bowls and reverse swings at 145 continuously.

Why was he not part of the team earlier? His reverse swing also benefits his fellow bowlers.

When they were close to winning Test matches, there was no bowler who could reverse swing. What is the use of these big names and experience when no one can decide which player to use, when and under what conditions.

What else do the coaches have to do? To teach and prepare the players, they have to work at the grassroots level,” said Aqib, who played 22 Tests and 163 ODIs for Pakistan. He further said that no one wanted to work at the academy.

“Everyone wants to coach the Pakistan team. Send them to the field in tough weather to find talent and prepare players. Then everyone will know what coaching is,” he said.

“Ignoring Sohail Khan and Wahab Riaz has been a loss of Pakistan.

If Sohail Khan had been used in Test matches, the result of the first match would have been different.

Similarly, Pakistan suffered because of keeping Riaz out of the T20 matches,” he said. He further said Mohammad Aamir is not bowling at full speed.

“Does anyone see what problems he is facing? Team management makes popular decisions to avoid criticism. Decisions should not be changed for fear of criticism. The series is over.

Now all the coaches and players will be in their homes. When will the work be done on the flaws? “The policy of appointing someone directly as the coach of the national team needs to be discouraged.

The cricket board did not do well by completely ignoring coach education. NHPC should be made the home of the national team. The academy in Karachi should be made the home of Pakistan A team.

The home of the under-19s should be made in Peshawar. Multan should be made home of the emerging team.

“They have to prepare alternatives for current players. We have no off-spinner, no leg spinner. Everyone is waiting for Pakistan Super League to select players from there.

Is this the standard? If players are to be selected from Pakistan Super League, then what is the need to have an army of coaches.”