LAHORE: Former captain Misbah-ul-Haq has criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board for its actions in removing captain Babar Azam and later Shaheen Shah Afridi, claiming that the way these decisions were made upsets the team’s fundamental structure.
“First, it was improper to remove Babar as captain, and now Babar was hastily replaced with Shaheen.” Both are incorrect approaches that consistently disrupt the players and the team’s complete setup,” Misbah told media on Thursday at an event in Lahore.
Every player on the team is impacted when the captain changes. Therefore, Misbah—who has also served as head coach of the national team—said that the PCB ought to use greater caution while making such choices.
It’s interesting to note that when Babar resigned as captain of all three formats in November of last year due to Pakistan’s appalling performance in the Asia Cup and then the 50-over World Cup, where the green-shirts failed to make it to the semi-finals, Misbah was chairman of the Cricket Technical Committee (CTC) of the Zaka Ashraf-headed PCB Interim Management Committee.
According Pakistani sources, Zaka made big choices like firing Babar and team director Mickey Arthur without consulting Misbah, the head of the CTC, as the PCB president pointed out that Misbah was now making cricket commentary.
On the day that Babar resigned, Zaka made snap decisions, appointing veteran Test all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez as team director and Shaheen as national T20 skipper in anticipation of a taxing Test tour to Australia. Zaka also appointed Shan Masood as the first Test captain for the Australia series, which Pakistan lost 3-0.
But after Pakistan under Shaheen lost a five-match T20 series 4-1 in New Zealand in January, Zaka’s concerns regarding Babar’s involvement in Saya Corporation, an English players’ agency, were allayed by Mohsin Raza Naqvi, the newly elected PCB chairman.
Misbah highlighted that “such decisions are of great importance and long-term coaches should be appointed after considering all the aspects” and continued, saying that the PCB should likewise take the hiring of coaching staff carefully.
Coach, foreign or local, made little difference, Misbah thought. “Choosing the best coach, and doing so for an extended duration, should come first and foremost,” he stated.
Misbah thinks there ought to be a formal, transparent procedure for evaluating a coach’s qualifications.
“He should be hired if he possesses the talent and skills to lead the team to success.”
Despite acknowledging that selecting the coaching staff is a difficult task, he expressed the hope that the PCB would create a think tank to select the best employees.
According to some media reports, the PCB had already decided on the names of former South African opener Gary Kristen (who coaches the test team) and former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie (who coaches white-ball cricket). This is despite the PCB having recently advertised that it is hiring coaching staff, with a deadline of April 15 for interested candidates to submit applications.
Shan, meantime, emphasized that the players’ shared objective is the same regardless of who manages the national team in any capacity.
Shan, the opener, told Wisden Cricket Monthly, “There’s a new set-up that’s come in, a new selection committee, and you always have a plan.”
And they observed a certain strategy, and it was clear from their justification that they most likely wanted Shaheen to get some rest as well. Due to the fact that Pakistan suffered a great deal after losing [pacer] Naseem Shah just prior to the [50-over] World Cup, the left-handed opener continued.
“I believe that as players, our shared objective is to ensure the success of the Pakistani squad. Everyone is prepared to work hard and support the leader, whoever they may be.
