Don’t expect PSL to produce players of Virat, Rohit’s calibre: Waqar

Agencies Published February 14, 2016

LAHORE: Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis has cautioned his countrymen not to expect the Pakistan Super League to immediately churn out players of the class of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, like the Indian Premier League has done for the game in the neighbouring country.

“I think we shouldn’t keep our expectations high from the PSL in its first year. It will take time say three to four years before we can expect this league to also give us the Virat Kohlis or Rohit Sharma’s like the IPL did for India,” he said on Saturday from Sydney.

Waqar said obviously expectations were high that the PSL would help Pakistan cricket produce some outstanding talent like the IPL had done for the Indian team.

“But we need to be patient and give it at least three to four years before we can expect the PSL to mould our young talent into international material players,” he said.

Waqar, however, made it clear that while he understood the desire of the franchises to field the sides they think are best for their requirements, he would like to see more players selected in the Pakistan squad play in the ongoing PSL.

“I don’t know what the cricket board can do because after all this is a commercial entity and franchises have their own businesses and requirements.

“But it would be good if the players picked in the squad for the Asia Cup and World T20 events are given chances to play in the PSL,” the former Test captain said.

Waqar clearly didn’t sound too happy with the way some of the Pakistan players have not been given regular chances by their franchises.

“I am a bit surprised that Babar Azam is not playing in all matches and Muhammad Irfan is not being tested out fully,” he added.

The Pakistan coach was also candid when asked whether he was satisfied with the squad selected for the two coming events.

“I don’t know whether you have spoken to chief selector Haroon Rasheed, but I think it is best you speak to him about this.

“I was consulted by the selectors but it is their final decision on the squad,” Waqar stated.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2016

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Saeed Masood

Feb 14, 2016 12:26pm

What a depressing dialogue by Waqar Younis...till he is there in PCB nothing will be produced...he is a pessimist...

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M.M.Sherazi

Feb 14, 2016 12:34pm

He is right to say it in the truest way. He has rightly pointed out the concerns for not giving full-time chances to main players selected for national T20 squad for World Cup.

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M.Jamal

Feb 14, 2016 12:37pm

Waqar is very smart and despite continous failures he want to stick with the Pakistan team as coach in future too.His narrative that Pakistan will find players of good quality after 3-4 years thru PSL surely undermines his coaching expertise where he couldn't coach a player of world class.

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junaid

Feb 14, 2016 12:43pm

Waqar is right in this instance. First of all we only have 5 franchises where half of the each team is represented by current pakistan international players then of course there are 4 foreign international players, and whatever is left is occupied by pakistan A team players. There is hardly and youngster who people do not know about. Secondly ball has dominated the bat in majority of games. Pakistan needs to find batsmen not bowlers. We have plenty of those.

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Imtiaz

Feb 14, 2016 01:08pm

For once Waqar talked sense.

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Masood

Feb 14, 2016 01:12pm

It is a honest comment. Hiding or over hyping the facts became norm in our country. unlike Srikankan and Bangladesi boards, PCL made false assurances to the franchises and now they are making huge loses. Not sure PSL will continue next year. Be honest and transparent and do not compare with others.

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mir

Feb 14, 2016 01:53pm

itz sarfaraz... effect...his smart handling of poor team.....so called....hid agression....He Is head coach and none of the franchise have hired him...itz big shame for him...Psl Is most sucessful league....see the response frkm pakisthan....even when played on second home...how shame for eben second grade chanel Is not willing to invite him for commenting

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haider

Feb 14, 2016 01:57pm

virat, rohit, were not a product of ipl, they are a product of the infrastructure and development investment that the local boards make. PSL is an opportunity for local talents to hone their skills against world class players. Here is where you might find players with exceptional skill that were flying under the radar. That is when you will have the opportunity to invest in said players and make them into world beaters. We do not have people to run the said infrastructure and development program at a national level. Look at the quality of Sailkot Stallions, they must be doing something right? Nauman Anwar, Usama Mir, Mohammed Nawaz, Mohammed Asghar and many many more. We got a lot of talent, we need to learn how to handle them is all.

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sam

Feb 14, 2016 01:59pm

I am so sick of waqar and his non-sense comments. He has failed miserably as coach and should have stepped down. Not that I am a fan of PSL but he dismisses the tournament where he is not gaining financially from is just so low, for a bowler who was admired so much

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Rohan

Feb 14, 2016 02:06pm

No, it was not IPL. It was sheer dedication and perseverance that make them what they are today. A decade ago kohlis family was living in a rented 2 room set, and he had faced immense difficulty...In the end light was more brighter then the darkness.

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natey

Feb 14, 2016 02:19pm

virat n rohit are not real cricketers..they just wana drive ferrari n audi r8...n play for money....i call them instant noodle batsmen.....we dont want like them..we want players like .steven smith or hashim amla..

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Kumar Mohit

Feb 14, 2016 02:27pm

Very pessimistic statement frm Pakistani coach. I think he wanted to say Pakistan should not expect anything till I am the coach. Sry harsh but true..

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Shashi

Feb 14, 2016 02:32pm

@natey they did not get AUDIs and ferraris until they proved their worth. These things are just perks for being consistent. If they are not consistent the perks will dissappear in no time. It doesn't matter what their aim is.. We are happy until they are giving results

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Faarigh from Japan

Feb 14, 2016 02:38pm

Kohli OK.. But Rohit? LOL..

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Abdulla Hussain

Feb 14, 2016 02:58pm

Neither he could produce any good player, 1.6 million per month with failing results.

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Hyder

Feb 14, 2016 02:58pm

Sir Pakistan premier league has unearthed many talented young cricketers like Mohamed Nawaz, Rumman Raees, Usama Mir in its first edition whereas Waqar Yunus has not even bothered to be attending the event as he is with his family in Australia as reported by the press. Many congratulations to Najam Sethi and his team for organising the PSL and the Pakistani fans want Waqar Yunus to be immediately sacked for maligning the PSL and poor coaching. Sir Vivian Richards or Andy Flower will be much better coach that Waqar Yunus!!! Thanks

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Rahul

Feb 14, 2016 03:08pm

@natey - *"virat n rohit are not real cricketers.."* I think Umar Daraz and Ahmed Shahzad would disagree.

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Kala Ingrez - کالا انگریز - काला अंग्रेज - কালো ইংরাজি

Feb 14, 2016 03:42pm

He need to resign.

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Rehan Ahmad

Feb 14, 2016 03:49pm

Mr. Waqar you need to step out of your shell, did you provide Pakistan even a single GREAT.. We already saw there are boys who has potential to be GREAT but with the right leader, are you the one? Thats the biggest question PCB should addressing by now.

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Abdulla Hussain

Feb 14, 2016 03:49pm

@Kumar Mohit: I agree with you, Waqar as a coach could not deliver even 15% of what he promised & what was expected of him.

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bharat

Feb 14, 2016 03:50pm

Thats correct,Mr Waqar

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Atif

Feb 14, 2016 04:04pm

I agree with with everything he has said here. The PSL will take time to groom talent. Also, he is right in expressing his disappointment over the World T20 squad which doesn't have a single specialist spinner bar a miss and hit afridi, and where a bowler of Junaid's calibre had been ignored to include .rumman .raees devoid of pace, swing and height.

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Harsh

Feb 14, 2016 04:17pm

when virat kholi made debut in ODIs in 2008, chris gayle had 19 ODI centuries and kohli had 0 centuries. in 2016 virat kohli had 24 ODI centuries and Chris Gayle has 22 ODI centuries. This shows the class and consistency of VIRAT KOHLI. He is driving the mercs and Audis for no reason. He has toiled hard for it and he deserves it.

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Tashu

Feb 14, 2016 05:48pm

For the kind information Rohit sharma was in indian squad and virat kohli just won the under 19 world cup for us before in IPL. So they are not IPL products.

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Jani Sahab

Feb 14, 2016 06:48pm

what would have been his view when he had been given some important post PSL?

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Arvind Ajimal

Feb 14, 2016 06:54pm

Virat and rohit came from the India under 19 circle. Kohli was the captain of successful under 19 team. Today India lost to west indies in Under 19 final but nevertheless we will see some good ones joining the main team. sarfraz Khan is already one, and he got the IPL berth. In India the usual path followed is first into under 19 and then from there to the states Ranji trophy teams and from there to the main team. What's the process in Pakistan ?

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Raghu2

Feb 14, 2016 06:58pm

Virat is a self made man. Life's struggles, his strong sense of self have made him good cricketer. Rohit is made from Dhoni's , BCCI's largesse. Of his innumerable chances even when he was failing. Occasionally though he would perform stupendously. His style,class of batting made him a lovable one. So even when he was failing ,dragging India down, no one wished him out of team. Pakistanis love to show India in poor light.One can understand this. Its Dhoni who made much money,and buys costly goods,lives a kingsize but thats not something that comes out. Inspite of money ,almost all cricketers Kohli,Rohit live humbly. Kohli loves India and probably more than any Indian cricketer since Kapil Dev wouldnt take no for a defeat.

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Muhammad Saadullah(Pakis92)

Feb 14, 2016 07:07pm

he is right...if pakistan will have coach like him Pakistan will produce not good players

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IRSHAD

Feb 14, 2016 07:25pm

Even if Pakistan is currently unable to produce players of the calibre of, say, Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, it does Pakistan cricket no good if the head coach of the national team comes out with such a negative statement. Kohli and Sharma have been around for a few years now, whereas our youngsters (of comparable age) have not had those kind of opportunities to hone their talent. Blame it on absence of international cricket at home or the late advent of the PSL but these are facts which cannot be ignored. Waqar was one of the best fast bowlers the world has ever produced but, unfortunately for him and Pakistan, that does not make him a good coach, so he should stop making such demoralising comments about our players, particularly the up and coming youngsters.

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Shahid

Feb 14, 2016 07:26pm

Non of the selected batsmen except Umar Akmal performing in PSL. Imad Wasim and Rumman Raees are the biggest disappointments. And ironically no franchise wanted Khurram Manzoor in their team. Players are being selected in the national as well as the junior teams on personal like and dislike. No one can explain how Iftekhar and Raees got selected replacing Rizwan and Sohail Tanvir. Even Asghar had a better claim than Raees.

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Salman Malik

Feb 14, 2016 07:39pm

Waqar's comments about SL are not relevant. Kohli and Rohit came through U-19 channel. IPL honed their phenomenal hitting prowess. Problem is Pakistan is very poor cricket infrastructure. Emphasis needed on school cricket, grounds and tournaments at regional level (i.e at the local levels). club cricket and then on divisional levels. Franchises should be able to pick players from these entities. See talent alone cannot prevail. There needs to be hard work from players, then Audi's and Ferraris will fly. PCB needs a free hand. Poor moral fiber and chuckers etc need to be excluded before getting to prominence within cricket sphere.

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pure ind

Feb 14, 2016 07:46pm

Well I completely agree with Waqar, Pakistan shouldn't expect instant results, & I am really surprised by some of the Pakistani comments that players like Virat & Rohit are not world class.. The problem with the Pakistani set up is that the young Pakistani batters idolise a Shahid Afridi, rather than some one like Saeed Anwar or Dravid.

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Sarfaraz

Feb 14, 2016 08:17pm

This man must be sacked to keep Pakistan cricket flourishing. He is a drag on the team.

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shdhsn

Feb 14, 2016 08:23pm

Was there any need for his negative comments? He should be spending time to look into the new talent in PSL and recommend them to PCB for grooming them for future.

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Blore Guy

Feb 14, 2016 09:41pm

@natey Did Audi ferari come from charity ..you need platform and then you need to proof India and ipl is platform and they show talent...why other not getting Audi and ferari take example PCB and psl

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Pakistani

Feb 14, 2016 09:45pm

What would waqar do ? Poor players ! Not only kohli and Sharma look at other Indian players yuvraj, dhoni , dhawan , raina , ashwin and jadeja all are match winners. No Pakistani player is even close to these players. Look the way they play for their country truely admirable.

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Eli

Feb 14, 2016 09:47pm

We understand Waqar, you can't deliver....but at least talk positive !

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Fateh

Feb 14, 2016 10:33pm

@pure ind Saeed Anwar was no great either.. You should say Yusuf Yohana and Dravid..

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Junaid memon

Feb 14, 2016 10:43pm

@natey the problem is there only you want a lot, one must see what he is getting.lol

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Jibran Baig

Feb 14, 2016 11:54pm

You won't find them if you don't play them... Babar Azam has been warming the bench. So is Fawad Alam...Pakistan have players they need to be given chances to develop. Just like Australia does with their players..Shawn Marsh, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith..

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Ahmad ali Warsi

Feb 14, 2016 11:57pm

Why you giving us depressing bcs you worried abt ur high salary US$ 16K p/M (Rs.1.6M) you had two contracts 2 yrs each team moral went down out of 9 series lost 7 (2 win with ZAMB/SL both team still "C") In your first tenure we lost 2011 w/c, 2nd 2015 w/c. couple of 7 series lost under ur coaching despite continous failures. Thanks to owners of franchises, they did not choose you as their coach in PSL, they are well aware of ur cricket ability. u are failed miserably as coach & should have stepped down honorably, before ur contract terminated on public pressure, I am sure u have no leadership quality, result of Asian cup & T20 w/cup in March 2015 result in mirror and you started giving us nervousness, with great mental and physical unrest. So u begging for extension of your contract with PCB. Pls note PCB after watching your performance in Asia+T20 w/cps, if it is poor you will get one way ticket to Sydney Aust.

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Harsh

Feb 15, 2016 12:23am

@Eli - the problem is the media only focusses on what to highlight and then the world doesnt read the entire article but only concentrate on one line. kindly go through the entire article what waqar said is right . He never said that PSL will not be able to produce players of calibre of virat and rohit. He said its just the first year and immeditely we cant expect players of calibre of rohit and virat . its true players like virat and rohit performed consistently well for 4-5 seasons and so they are performing well at international level. the same goes with Pakistan. they cant rely on one season wonder and rather pick players who will perform consistently over 4-5 seasons of PSL

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Shazad

Feb 15, 2016 05:36am

waqar is scared that PSL might expose people like him, who like nepotism, discrimination, biases, Parchi when PCB officials select players for national team. Waqar keeping Sarfraz from playing in world cup is open example. Ideally, franchises should select players in open auction and pay for whoever they want, to win the tournament (not to make hype, as KK has done). That would bring out best players in PSL, though not necessarily players that national selectors would select (where criteria is not merit, but favouritism). When people would see performance of players in PSL, they would know how corrupt and smelly, Pakistan national selection is, where good players are ignored and favoured player plays. This happens, because money given to PCB and their officials are not related to performance of Pakistani cricket team. In merit loving country, a coach like Waqar and many office bearers of PCB would have got sacked long time ago.

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dn_Singapore

Feb 15, 2016 11:24am

It's not the Super League who produces greater player it's the opportunity that someone get to become a better player, India and Pakistan always produce world class cricketers during past and things are not much different now as well. Someone has to trust the younger generation to become your country's best by giving them enough chance to prove themselves. This is what BCCI is doing in India, organizing so many domestic level tournament in regular basis and bring the hidden telnet to limelight. Having Ferrari and Audi is the symbol of success, one should understand that to have these you should know the effort that has been given. It’s unfortunate that some of the great Pakistani players are not a part of IPL else you could have seen them roaming around with the same Brands as well. India and Pakistan matches are always great to watch not because they are rival to each other it’s because they are the best teams in the world of cricket.

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adnan

Feb 15, 2016 03:04pm

yea cuz hes not coaching any of the teams... typical waqar .. the players picked for the world t 20 rumman raees and iftikhar ahmed should be replaced by mohammad sami and that legspinner from quetta akbar rehman

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sam

Feb 15, 2016 05:48pm

@natey jealousy at its best..sour grapes

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Khan

Feb 15, 2016 08:46pm

He has a point. You have to watch India team play to see what he is talking about. We do have a lot of talent, it will take time to groom and nurture. PSL is first right step, hopefully it will survive and one day move to Pakistan.

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jain

Feb 16, 2016 11:36am

@Faarigh from Japan What Rohit Lol ?? Two double centuries, highest ODI individual score of 267 in a single match against Sri Lanka at Edens, check his records first then u will laugh on urselves,

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Abdul Wahab Vazeer

Feb 16, 2016 11:44am

@Saeed Masood I Agree . The statement is too pessimist...

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Indian Patriot

Feb 16, 2016 11:56am

@Faarigh from Japan .... it seems you doesn't know about cricket. FYI , Rohit holds the highest batting average as an opener who played more than 50 matches, he holds highest score by a visiting batsmen in Australia , only batsmen who scored 2 double hundreds, highest one day batting average against Australia and he holds the highest individual score by a batsmen ....... better you stop commenting about cricketers and start writing some thing about SUMO wrestling.

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Amin

Feb 17, 2016 04:31am

The most nonsensical comment to come from a "head coach". In a nut shell what he is saying is keep trying and practicing the players the failed PCB has chosen than select people based on merit. Franchises have business interest in picking the right player and hence merit has to be followed to get the right results. PCB on the other side lose nothing if they keep playing their own favorites, relatives. He certainly does not want another 'Sarfaraz' he will have to manage. Nawaz, Asghar, Bismillah Khan are going to be another headache for him. Its disappointing to see a headless head coach spreading pessimism when his role requires him to inculcate hope and encourage youngsters. But he has to prolong his career. The most shameless cricket I have ever known.

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