Moin, coaches slammed for team’s poor show in NZ

Published February 1, 2015
Mohammad Hafeez (front) of Pakistan walks from the field after being bowled out as New Zealand players celebrate. — AFP
Mohammad Hafeez (front) of Pakistan walks from the field after being bowled out as New Zealand players celebrate. — AFP

LAHORE: Former Test cricketer Mohammad Ilyas has criticised incumbent chairman of national selection committee Moin Khan and coaches for the visitors’ dismal show on the ongoing tour of New Zealand.

As Pakistan lost the two-match ODI series opener against New Zealand by seven wickets in Wellington on Saturday, it made three defeats in the row for Misbah-ul-Haq and company.

Earlier, the visitors had lost two back-to-back practice matches against ‘B’ teams, no good sign for the Pakistan camp ahead of the World Cup starting in two weeks time.

Talking to Dawn, Ilyas reckoned the team’s third consecutive defeat on the New Zealand tour was enough to expose the planning and the strength of the team, which he said had looked lifeless so far.

“Moin has worked as chief selector and team manager for more than a year or so, yet he has completely failed to form match-winning combination while the World Cup is now just 13 days away,” Ilyas regretted.

Pakistan’s bowling attack, Ilyas underlined, looked feeble while fitness problems suffered by several players during the last one year had exposed the fact that no proper planning was done by Pakistan for a huge event like the World Cup.

“There were too many changes to Pakistan’s playing eleven for the two practice matches against second-string New Zealand XIs. Sarfraz Ahmed, Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez playing as openers plus different bowling combinations featuring in these games clearly signify the team management has failed in finalising the team combination before the tour started,” he said.

Ilyas reckoned there were a few anomalies in the team selection, noting young paceman Ehsan Adil, having no exceptional performance to his credit, was named in the World Cup party. “Furthermore, left-arm spinner Raza Hasan should have been picked in place of fast bowler Sohail Khan.”

The way Shehzad, Ilyas observed, lost his wicket was pathetic and the manner Mohammad Irfan -- considered as Pakistan’s main bowler -- delivered in the first ODI, shows the team have no will to enter the World Cup as major contenders.

“Irfan may prove effective on Australian pitches but on New Zealand tracks he would not be that successful,” he underlined.

Published in Dawn February 1st, 2015

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