WHILE the PCB has done quite a bit after the World Cup debacle, it seems that not all is going well. There was already much speculation in the media about the manner of squad selection, but the statement by captain Rashid Latif ahead of the tour to Sri Lanka has let the cat of the bag. That he is not happy with the way things have gone in the last few weeks, is quite evident. Equally evident is the fact that it does not augur well for the future of the national team.
The new setup comprising the director, the coach, the manager, the captain and the selectors, has been in place for too short a time to warrant such serious mishaps that indicate internal friction and a bit of jostling.
The team did well at Sharjah, but everyone knows for sure that not much can really be taken seriously in view of the fragile opposition that the team encountered there. Even the Sri Lankan outing will not test the team’s mettle to the extent that is considered a benchmark in international cricket. But it will certainly be tougher than what the team came across in Sharjah, and perhaps this is what is making the setup go a bit jittery. If so, I am not too impressed by the working of those involved.
Amir Sohail, who is heading the selection committee, is known to be a hot-headed individual and has a history of rubbing past PCB managements the wrong way when he was a player and, later, captain of the national outfit. I am sure he would have mellowed down with time, but my fear is that he may struggle to curb his natural instincts. I am not too sure of the reason behind putting an ill-tempered individual in a slot that demands a rational, analytical and cool-headed approach on a long-term basis.
Rashid Latif, the captain, himself has a history of going public with his complaints — justified or otherwise. He even announced his retirement, first from Test cricket, and then from the One Day game as well, before eating his words and returning to the lead the side within no time. This, mind you, was his second ‘retirement’ all forms of cricket. I am not saying that he does not deserve his recent promotion, for that is totally beside the point here. All I am saying is that he appears to be impulsive, and has a proven tendency of speaking before being sure of what he is going to say.
The appointment of such individuals on key positions is always a hazardous task. But the wisdom of making two such souls work together on a long-term basis and in such a crucial phase of national cricket, is well and truly beyond me. I wish them — and the PCB — well, but, frankly speaking, I have my doubts. A hot-headed soul selecting the team for an impulsive captain! Sorry, that is not my idea of smooth working.
But, unfortunately, that is not the end of it. Though it is all quiet and calm on that front, we do have a national coach to whom man-management does not come naturally. I have not an iota of doubt about how great a batsman and how crafty a technician Javed Miandad was in his heyday. But an intelligent, top-ranking student does not always become an effective teacher. It is an altogether different skill. And the same applies to Miandad.
Just a look at his record would prove that he was always a remarkable deputy, but never a good leader of man. It was basically because he was such a good player that he expected everyone else to do the same, which was not realistic. And the mindset has plagued his coaching stints.
He had to leave captaincy in controversial circumstances more than once during his playing career, and not much different has been his experience as the national coach. Now he has a set of fresh faces to work with, and that would minimize the chance of any friction with the lads, but he still has to deal with the selectors and the captain. Besides, no one knows for sure when the ‘resting’ seniors might return to the side, and the rude drama may then unfold all over again.
WHILE the PCB has done quite a bit after the World Cup debacle, it seems that not all is going well. There was already much speculation in the media about the manner of squad selection, but the statement by captain Rashid Latif ahead of the tour to Sri Lanka has let the cat of the bag. That he is not happy with the way things have gone in the last few weeks, is quite evident. Equally evident is the fact that it does not augur well for the future of the national team.
