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| March 9, 2003 | Sunday | Muharram 5, 1424 |
Rebuilding process imminent, says Bari
JOHANNESBURG, March 8: Pakistan’s chief selector Wasim Bari on Saturday threatened to overhaul the national team after they were knocked out in the first round of the World Cup.
“A rebuilding process is imminent and some new players are bound to be introduced after what happened in South Africa,” Bari said from Karachi.
“New players will unfortunately take more time to mature so it could be a mix of new and a few senior players.”
With coach Richard Pybus already deciding to quit, captain Waqar Younis also appears to be on his way out with sources suggesting that pace legend Wasim Akram was once again eyeing the job despite having had three spells in charge of the team.
Since 1998, Pakistan has appointed 10 different coaches for the national team, six captains and as many managers.
That should not come as a surprise since the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) itself was headed by four different people between 1998 and 1999 when Lt Gen Tauqir Zia took over.
Former captain Imran Khan, who led Pakistan’s World Cup triumph in 1992, warned the worst was not over yet.
“We will go down further if we don’t change the domestic system and don’t find early replacements for the seniors,” Imran said from Islamabad.
“I would suggest that Wasim should stay on for another year and we should have a home grown coach,” suggested Imran.
Newspaper reports in Pakistan speculated that Gen Tauqir, the PCB chairman, too will be replaced by another serving army general, Lt Gen Munir Hafeez, and that former star Javed Miandad will return as coach.
Other reports said that wicket-keeper Moin Khan, who was sacked as captain in 2001, will be given back the job.
“We need to be consistent,” said former captain Intikhab Alam. “You can’t build a house if you keeping replacing the bricks.”—AFP
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