LAHORE: Former Test medium-fast bowler turned coach Aaqib Javed has lambasted the performance of the Pakistan men’s team and termed the incumbent head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and fast bowling coach Waqar Younis as “not coaches”.

In a Meet the Press programme organised by the Sports Journalists Association of Lahore (SJAL) here on Tuesday, Aaqib, who is also the head coach of Lahore Qalandars, said that the decision of not extending Mickey Arthur’s contract was a mistake on the part of the current PCB management.

“How can you call Misbah a coach? If the PCB relieves him of his duties, he would not get a coaching job even at school level. Whereas, it is almost the fifth term of Waqar Younis as coach or bowling coach with the PCB. But what has Waqar delivered? He is living in Australia and has to go to Sydney after every series instead of staying here and working on the grassroots level,” Aaqib said.

“Basically, Waqar is a commentator and not a coach. If you relieve him from the job, he will start commentary again instead of getting another coaching job. Why? Because, he is not a coach,” he added.

“I have not seen such a bad performance from the Pakistan men’s team in decades and if the necessary steps are not taken, Pakistan will go down further in international cricket,” he said.

Aaqib said he was not watching the ongoing series in New Zealand because he could not see bad performances from the team.

He said after abolishing cricket at the grassroots level, the Pakistan cricket had suffered a lot. He said cricket at the school, college, and district levels should be restored immediately.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2021