Pakistan has a batting problem, and it’s a serious one. In essence, it’s a talent drought. Not since Younus Khan made his international debut in 2000 has a batsman of genuine class entered the team. Granted that young guns Umar Akmal and Asad Shafiq are exciting prospects, but these two have yet to do something spectacular. And while Azhar Ali, who has solidified himself at number three in Tests, is also widely admired, he has yet to score a century.
The late Bob Woolmer was once asked what, in his view, was the best measure of a batting performance. “You’ve got to make runs,” he replied, matter-of-factly. Well, for Pakistan, the runs seem to have just dried up. Over the last three years, Pakistan has scored its Test runs at an average of just 28.67 runs per wicket, which is the worst of all Test sides with the sole exception of Bangladesh.
And if you look at just the last two years, then Pakistan’s batting average has hit rock-bottom at 26.71 Test runs per wicket, dropping even below Bangladesh’s, whose comparable figure during this period is 29.22. Take a moment to absorb that. Not only is our former eastern wing surpassing us in health, literacy and economic indices, it is also doing better at batting.
The situation is a little more encouraging in ODIs, although not by much. During the last three years, Pakistan’s batting average in the 50-over format is 29.62, placing it sixth behind India (37.72), South Africa (37.52), Australia (36.87), Sri Lanka (33.55), and England (30.96).
The totality of Pakistan’s batting achievements through history is also worrisome. For example, no Pakistani batsman has ever crossed 9,000 runs in Tests (the highest being 8,832 by Javed Miandad), while three Indians, three Australians, two West Indians, one South African, and one Sri Lankan have gone past this milestone. In a similar vein, the highest number of Test centuries by a Pakistani is 25 (by Inzamamul Haq), but five Australians, three Indians, two West Indians, one South African and one Sri Lankan have managed a greater tally.
Speaking of centuries, in recent times, three-figure knocks from Pakistani batsmen have become rarer than a ripe mango in winter. In the recently concluded World Cup, Pakistan was the only team to reach the last eight that did not include a century-maker; even minnows Netherlands and Ireland managed centuries at some point during the tournament.
This deficiency is no less stark in Test cricket, in which over the last three years Pakistani batsmen have posted only nine centuries from 21 matches. For the sake of comparison, Sri Lankan batsmen (who have played similar opposition during this period over an identical number of matches) have posted no less than 31 centuries. The difference is reflected in the team’s winning ability, with Sri Lanka winning nine of its 21 Tests over the last three years and losing only four, while Pakistan has won only four and lost as many as 10.
The real kicker is that even the talent we do have gets mismanaged. Consider the cases of Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan. These two batting stars are proven match-winners of world-class ability who have brought great laurels for Pakistan, yet both have been mistreated by narrow-minded PCB officials, with the sad result that Pakistan has been deprived of their full talent and potential. Nor are the selectors blameless. It was shocking, for example, to see a mediocre batsman like Umar Amin chosen ahead of a gifted cricketer like Asad Shafiq for last summer’s tour to England, when Asad had clearly been the superior performer in domestic first-class cricket.
In these dire circumstances, it is nothing short of comical that PCB chairman Ijaz Butt would resist the idea of a batting coach for so long. “Pakistan does not need a batting coach,” he announced with a straight face during a press briefing last November.
Less comical but more tragic is the drama surrounding overtures made to Javed Miandad for filling the batting coach’s job. Few would argue that Miandad knows more about the art and science of batting than any other Pakistani. He has even served as the team’s coach in three previous stints, so the coaching role is hardly new to him. Yet it is an open secret that he is reluctant to play second-fiddle in a coaching hierarchy where his former team junior Waqar Younus is the head coach.
There are two approaches to this impasse. We can laugh, scream and make fun of Miandad’s prima donna attitude, and sacrifice Pakistan’s batting chances in the process. Alternatively, we can acknowledge Miandad’s sensitivities and, for the sake of Pakistan cricket, try to work around them. The problem is alarming enough that some orderly compromise needs to be urgently worked out. Miandad can come on as a batting consultant in which he isn’t required to report to Waqar. Or a clear understanding can be reached that Miandad’s plans — for the schedules, exercise regimens, batting practice methods — will not be interfered with.
These are not trivial matters. At the moment Pakistan is playing international cricket with two entire departments (batting and fielding) almost threadbare. A great deal is riding on the PCB’s ability to extract the maximum from our batsmen’s talent and potential. The very future of Pakistan cricket is at stake.