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KARACHI: Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq says he was not surprised at the exclusion of several players since it was part of a plan by head coach Waqar Younis to oust seniors from the national team.
“Waqar Younis has some sort of hidden agenda against senior players and whenever he has been appointed coach he has shunted them out and tried to destroy their careers,” Razzaq said according to Press Trust of India.
“When he first became coach in 2011, he targeted me and Mohammad Yousuf and the latter never played for Pakistan again even though he could have carried on for a few more years.
“Shoaib Akhtar also had to retire in his previous tenure,” Razzaq noted.
The seasoned all-rounder who has not played for Pakistan since the World T20 in 2012 said even in 2011 Waqar played an instrumental role in ousting Shahid Afridi from the team which led to him being stripped of the captaincy as well.
“Since then we have not progressed in limited overs cricket particularly ODIs and I blame Misbah-ul-Haq for this. People look at his performances to defend him but the truth is he has totally changed the mindset of our players to being fearful and slow and even the new players are affected by this new culture.”
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| Abdul Razzaq |
Razzaq said Waqar was now targeting more senior players and said instead of trying to manage talented batsmen like Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal properly he had recommended them to be dropped from the team.
“I am sorry to say this but Waqar was a great bowler but as a manager his management skills are very poor and this is because of his agenda against seniors and his refusal to change with times.”
Razzaq said despite the selectors continuously ignoring him he had no intentions to retire. Razzaq, 35, remains one of Pakistan’s top all-rounders and in 265 ODIs he managed to score 5080 runs and also take 269 wickets.
“After what happened in the World Cup I think Pakistan needs to change its approach to one-day cricket and we need to produce more power hitters and genuine all-rounders. Unless we change the balance and mindsets of our one-day players Pakistan will continue to lag in the ODI rankings,” he said.
Razzaq also said that the ban on Pakistani players taking part in the Indian Premier League was also hurting their development as good limited overs cricket players.
Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2015
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Comments (47) Closed
Apr 07, 2015 10:39am
Good Player Must take part in Domestic Games and he should realize that time is running out for him he is already 35 years old. so its my request stop criticizing Waqar Younas play Domestic cricket and prove himself once again and take part in T twenty world cup in 2016. we need player like him to be role model for our next generation.
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Apr 07, 2015 10:51am
Senior players need to understand ur time is up either perform when playing international cricket or help youngsters. They had their time ,and we loved them for it but if u r not up tonpar please move along n groom young ones ur still playing counties n domestic. Keep it self fit n u will play. Complaining is not the curse but accepting ur time is up.
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Apr 07, 2015 10:52am
Razzak, there is something like graceful retirement.
We have all seen the cricket form of Yousef Razzak and Shoaib.With due respect and honest opinion you should yourself have opted to retire.
Blame Waqar for many other things but not for your retirement.
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Apr 07, 2015 10:56am
I fully agree with Razzaq on the issue that fear factor has been developen among our players even new commers like Harris Sohail who has the capability of hard hitting but not allowed to play his real game. You may look that whichever team played with fear during World Cup was thrown out by the other team.Hard hitting is the essance of limited over game.
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Apr 07, 2015 10:58am
Waqar is a mediocre coach but Razzaq's reasons are equally lame.
This is the 3rd time Waqar has become a coach and he has nothing worth while to show for it.
Need a foreign coach with the current selected new players.
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Apr 07, 2015 11:01am
Waqar should resign! His coaching and thinking did not work! His arrogance cost Pakistan the WC!
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Apr 07, 2015 11:02am
Well said. I totally support his thoughts. Waqar has been miserable as coach. Let alone the senior players, Waqar has been unable to coach the fast bowlers anything about bowling. While he was a wonderful bowler always attacking the stumps and getting batsmen out LBW and bowled with his accurate yorkers and swing bowling, the current lot have no idea how to swing the ball and bowl yorkers. Just look at how the Pak bowlers performed in the World Cup. How many batsmen did they get bowled out or LBW??? They persisted on bowling short and with only Wahab with any genuine pace, all of the suffered at the hands of the batsmen.
I say Wasim Akram should be coach of Pakistan.
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Apr 07, 2015 11:02am
he is right you know, need to develop an attacking mindset. They might not succeed the first few time but eventually they will develop that instinct. Oh and our batsmen need to start middling stuff!
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Apr 07, 2015 11:02am
Razzaq you are spot on correct brother, rather than changing whole team, Management could have just changed Waqar Younis who is pathetic as a coach. He was hoping to Aus bowling coach job and quit last time, but of course Aussies knew his worth and did not consider him for job more so because he was also not level 4 qualified coach. But PCB is run by un professionals so they will bring only half professionals to keep the yes sir culture......
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Apr 07, 2015 11:16am
Management of Pakistan Board is very poor. Abdul Razzaq is not a part of National Team. its show total failure of Pakistan Board.
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Apr 07, 2015 11:20am
I fully agree!
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Apr 07, 2015 11:21am
100% agree with you Razzak
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Apr 07, 2015 11:22am
Razzaq - next coach of Pakistan cricket team! lol
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Apr 07, 2015 11:41am
he is good player but i guess he should retire now..along with misbah, younis, malik.
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Apr 07, 2015 11:41am
"in 265 ODIs he managed to score 5080 runs and also take 269 wickets" : Better than Afridi !
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Apr 07, 2015 11:44am
i am sorry mr razzak,
i disagree with u.look india and australia they have also ignored seniors but they have progressed.its domestic structure due to which pakistan is suffering.look samsung(indian domestic player) has got guts to hit six to even dale stern
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Apr 07, 2015 11:53am
Razzaq on his day can change the game for Pakistan. Rare talent getting wasted...
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Apr 07, 2015 11:59am
True said, if operation clean up applies on Players it should also apply on Management as well as coaches....!
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Apr 07, 2015 12:02pm
Yes, totally agreed with Razzak. WY & TUK TUK has destroyed Pak cricket. We require genuine all rounders & power hitters, if we produce TUK TUK then i am afraid that as misbah does not have ODI century non of the players will. WY & TUK TUK is a destroyer.
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Apr 07, 2015 12:02pm
Still remember the late hitting by Azhar Mehmood and Abdul Razzaq, while our middle order was solid with Inzi and Yousuf. What a team we had in 1999 WC.
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Apr 07, 2015 12:07pm
Abdul Razzak has performed so well on several ocassions. It is an irony that he is not selected. He is spot on when he says we need more all rounders and aggressive batsmen.
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Apr 07, 2015 12:07pm
Razzak you have always been my favorite player and have done great service to Pakistan. I was very sad when your personnel savings/gold was stolen. Instead of supporting losers like Shahzad and Akmals I would love you to find All Rounders for us.
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Apr 07, 2015 12:39pm
He is very hardworking and sincere to his game.
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Apr 07, 2015 12:41pm
He is one of the best all rounders , Pakistan ever produced. What he says , is right. Although , I am an Indian , but I like his approach towards the Cricket. He is a genuine cricketer and his pain towards the down fall of the cricket in Pakistan, must be considered seriously.
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Apr 07, 2015 01:04pm
Razzak, my heart feels for you. At least, you would have done far better playing in the WC than 7 to 8 players who flopped so miserably.
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Apr 07, 2015 01:22pm
Include the Razzaq and Malik
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Apr 07, 2015 01:24pm
Senior players need to perform to justify their selection! No one should be given a free pass just because they have been around for a while.
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Apr 07, 2015 01:55pm
100% back Razzaqs assessment.. i myself have felt for a long time misbah has been detrimental to the mindset of the team.. cautious is good.. misbahs role should have been for bad days when top 5 fail.. but misbah should have been a foil and not the main act.. misbah never changed according to match situation.. neither his play nor his captaincy .. pakistan has always thrived being on the front foot and never being on the back foot..
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Apr 07, 2015 02:10pm
PCB wasted such an excellent finisher and pakistan team missed him in new rules and thats y Pakistan is at the bottom to explore last 10 overs under new rules.
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Apr 07, 2015 02:31pm
Teams lose matches on the ground, Pakistan loses it in the PCB headquarter!
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Apr 07, 2015 02:36pm
Not fully agreed! but two things are clear and evident.
1. Waqar's management skills are very poor. Even the WC commentators' panel easily highlights problems which Waqar failed to recognize.
2. The defend and block mentality Misbah has instilled in the team would lead us to ultimate disaster. At the time when 400 runs become a norm Pakistani Team find hard to put 250 runs on board.
Cricket has changed over the years. Misbah tried to approach a game with a dead-strategy of 1990s.
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Apr 07, 2015 02:46pm
He is the one of the best All Rounders that Pakistan has produced.
I like the way he played Against India, one of my favorite even though I am a die hard fan of Indian Team.
We should respect this guy.
Waqar Younis always reminds me the last over that he bowled to Ajay Jadeja in Bangalore.
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Apr 07, 2015 03:24pm
Razzak- The Iron Man
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Apr 07, 2015 03:47pm
Akmal and shahzad need to be groomed not penalized. Fatal mistake for Pakistan.
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Apr 07, 2015 03:55pm
You need to perform. Seniority doesn't help alone! He should be ashamed of slamming Waqar as Waqar has taught him and others cricket!
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Apr 07, 2015 04:49pm
@Hina Is he going to be playing in next ODI world cup in 2019 at 39 years age? Bowling or batting? He was walking and bowling in 2012 itself.
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Apr 07, 2015 04:51pm
@Adnan Why what is wrong in giving chance to Babar Azam and Md Rizwan? They deserve there chance too.We have seen this guy movement in field in past,he was moving like snail in 2012 and costing team with his slow fielding.
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Apr 07, 2015 06:04pm
One more has-been trying to stay in the limelight by constantly criticising. Razzaq should realize that his international career is over, and he should move on. Perhaps he could become a good coach or something. If he wants to be a good role model for our youth, he should realize that "seniority" alone does not give you a place in the side, performance does, and he has not been performing.
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Apr 07, 2015 11:49pm
@Bozdar I completely agree with Bozdar, score tons of runs in domestic and IPL type tournaments and apply selection pressure
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Apr 08, 2015 01:17am
Good points raised by the ex green-shirts all-rounder except the last paragraph regarding IPL participation of Pakistani players which seems to be highly commercialized and money oriented.
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Apr 08, 2015 03:04am
Waqar younus is not responsible for ban on Pakistani players not playing IPL. Moreover the selectors selects the team and not Waqar. But I agree with Abdul Razzak that Pakistan ODI needs power hitters and all-rounders.
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Apr 08, 2015 05:32am
Waqar not deserved to be coach, sacked for bad performance of 2015, same result of 2011 WY is looser, Ahmed shazad and Akmal right to dropped, but Yousuf and Sohaib Akhtar killed by WY. PCB look this Dual national exporting Foreign exchange out of Pakistan we have to need a Pakistan coach paid in Pak money, Razzak should given chance.
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Apr 08, 2015 08:58am
Misbah has totally changed the mindset of our players to being fearful and slow and even the new players are affected by this new culture.”
This is the key point lot of us are not realizing!!! But water under the bridge!
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Apr 10, 2015 02:41am
Personally i find him incompetent as a coach. What excuse he has to use Nasir Jamsheed and side line Sarfraz Ahmed?
Using Omar Akmal as a keeper and side line Sarfraz.
Sorry to say he was not even a good bowler as Miandad said, he used to temper his ball to be an effective bowler.
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Apr 10, 2015 09:37pm
No doubt Waqar Younus was a great bowler and I loved to see him bowl in the 90's. But he was not very lucky in all the WC that he played and later as a coach. During his time as coach he has not produced one international class player or improved the batting or bowling technique of a player. He was alsoo named in Justice Qayyum report, his continued stint with PCB is questionnable and raises some speculation.
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Apr 11, 2015 02:45am
I am not sure about how much cricket is left in Razzaq but he has been really really poorly utilized in Pak team.
Afridi has been a permanent member of Pak team as an allrounder. However, in the last few years, his batting has rarely been useful. Razzaq has been dealt with just like Fawad Alam until now.
I hope Fawad gets more chances and is not wasted like Razzaq.
I would suggest Razzaq to play in a few T20 leagues and make some money instead of thinking about playing for the national team.
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Apr 11, 2015 09:27am
Mr. Razzak is absolutely right about fear, Pakistani batsmen seem to be afraid and lack movement. Cricket is a sport, they need to look athletic and play shots. The idea of not playing shots and remain on the wicket is a zero sum game, opposite team does not mind that at all. You can have all wickets in hand and no score. But it is definitely plain stupid policy and approach leading to failure and contempt from the nation.
Also, the Board or direct management should have no role or say in personal life or time of player. It is a laughing matter or at best childish for the management to tell players if they can bring their wife with them or not. That is too much control and such individuals then are expected to defeat the world's best when they have no rights as individuals!
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