Ex-captains advise PCB to name a batting coach for Pakistan

Karachi: Former Pakistan captains have advised the cricket board here to immediately appoint a local batting coach for the team following their humiliating 211-run loss against South Africa at Johannesburg.

The Pakistan Cricket Community is apprehensive about the fate that awaits the national team in the remaining tests in South Africa after they capitulated in the opening Test. The board`s decision to not appoint former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq as batting consultant and send him with the team to South Africa has also come in for criticism from some former players. Former captain, Moin Khan said that the current head coach, Dav Whatmore could not resolve the batting problems with the team and it was time the PCB brought in a local coach. "Whatmore may be a qualified coach but he does not have the practical experience of cricket himself to win the confidence and respect of the Pakistani players such is our cricket culture," Moin said. "Unfortunately our cricket system is not well established that these batting problems can be resolved with time and properly and for this the board needs to appoint a former player as batting consultant or mentor who is well respected by the players and they listen to him," Moin said. The former wicketkeeper-batsman and veteran of 69 Tests and 219 ODIs said that it was unfortunate that the board didn`t give the required respect and honor to its former players like they deserved. "It is unfortunate that instead of making full use of Inzamam`s experience they chose to ignore him and silently sideline him for the South Africa whereas his experience would have been very good for the team in South Africa," Moin said. Pakistan`s former coach and chief selector, Mohsin Khan also agreed with Moin pointing out that there was a need for the board to give more importance and respect to Pakistan`s former players. "Inzamam could have done a lot for the players in South Africa as they would have listened to him. It is important for players in the team to respect and try to follow their coach. Unfortunately the team is struggling badly in SA because of such issues," he said. Mohsin was released by the board to bring in Whatmore as coach last year even though he had coached the team to a 3-0 whitewash over England. Another former captain, Rashid Latif also felt that the board should have tried to utilize the services of Inzamam when he was willing to work with the team. "It is time the board started taking advantage of our greats like Inzamam and Wasim Akram and others. What is worrying is that the team management appears to be struggling with plans to cope with the testing conditions in SA." PTI