Photo Credit: LinkedIn Profile Photo of Aqib Javed
Aaqib Javed, Pakistan’s interim head coach and national selector, voiced his concerns on Tuesday regarding the lack of consistency and continuity in Pakistan cricket. He pointed out that the frequent changes in leadership and management over the past year were detrimental to the team’s performance, making it difficult for the players to build the required stability.
“Since last year see how many captains, coaches, selectors and board Chairman have changed. This is never an ideal situation for the team and it does affect their performances,” Aaqib said during a media conference.
The challenges were evident during the Champions Trophy, where Pakistan, the defending champions, faced disappointing defeats in their opening matches against New Zealand and India, resulting in their elimination. Their final match against Bangladesh was washed out. Reflecting on the team’s struggles, Aaqib emphasized the importance of consistency in policies from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to the players. “You want to take Pakistan cricket forward then you need to have consistency and continuity in policies in our cricket starting from the PCB Chairman to the players,” he stated.
Aaqib, who had a successful career as a fast bowler, also lamented the lack of responsibility shown by some players during the three-nation ODI series and the Champions Trophy at home. “I think a coach can do only as much as he can sitting outside but he can’t go and play. I think some of our players need to start thinking about their game and how to be consistent performers,” he said.
One of his key concerns was the insufficient emphasis on four-day domestic matches, which he believes are essential for the players to improve their skillsets. “I know there is a hectic international schedule nowadays but if you are going to play 70 percent T20 cricket and not go and play in four-day domestic matches you can never be prepared for Tests or ODIs and neither can you become a better player,” Aaqib argued. He pointed out that many players were not prioritizing these domestic fixtures, which he believes is a major factor hindering their development.
He also criticized the fast bowlers for their underperformance, especially during the Champions Trophy. Aaqib highlighted how the bowlers struggled to generate reverse swing in conditions that typically favor that skill, such as in Karachi and Dubai. “The two places you get the most reverse swing are Karachi and Dubai and unfortunately this was something our bowlers couldn’t do. I have spoken to Haris Rauf and Shaheen and asked them to go back to work on their skillset,” he shared.
Regarding Pakistan’s losses to India, Aaqib identified the lack of pressure from the bowlers as a significant factor. “We have always beaten India by taking wickets and applying pressure. This team had the ability to beat India but the pressure of the match got to them,” he said. He acknowledged that playing against India is always challenging due to the high pressure of such encounters. “It is never easy playing against India. It is always a high pressure game and it is never easy for new players,” he added.
Aaqib recognized the frustration from fans following these losses, particularly in high-profile events like the T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy. However, he urged for patience and consistency in evaluating players and teams. “I can understand the hurt and frustration at our failure but we need to understand neither can you judge a player or team on the basis of one or two series. You need to be more consistent and patient,” he advised.
Despite the setbacks, Aaqib noted that Pakistan had earlier performed well in winning ODI series against Australia and South Africa, highlighting that the team had shown its potential. However, he admitted that their selection decisions, particularly for the Champions Trophy, did not yield the desired results. “But yes our selections didn’t come through as we thought they would and we must accept New Zealand and India were more balanced and confident,” he said.
One of the bold decisions made during this period was the dropping of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan for the New Zealand tour, which Aaqib explained was an attempt to try out a new approach and mindset for modern-day T20 cricket. He also mentioned that Pakistan, like other teams, was working towards developing separate squads for T20 cricket. “If you look at other teams most of them have 70 percent separate T20 squads and we are also now working on that before the Asia Cup and World T20 Cup. We need our players to play fearless cricket,” Aaqib concluded.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Stay ahead of the latest cricket industry trends by subscribing to our free cricexec “daily briefing” newsletter.
Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
