Thaindian News

Islamabad, April 7(ANI): The Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision of retaining its team management that officiated during the recently concluded World Cup is laughable, a Pakistani newspaper has said.

This is probably the joke of the century that rather than sacking coach Waqar Younis, manager Intikhab Alam and bowling coach Aqib Javed, the whole burden of the defeat was put on the shoulders of a few players, The Nation reported.

These things only happen in Pakistan, where the real culprits always get the benefit due to their contacts with some influential person, and the players, who have no say or backing, get the wrath of the bosses, it added.

The paper said that it was expected after Pakistan’s World Cup debacle that Waqar and Intikhab- who did nothing for the team- would be replaced by those who had the required credentials, so that the team could be put back on the right track, but the PCB instead left out all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, batsman Ahmed Shahzad and faltering wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal for the upcoming tour of West Indies.

The paper opined that former cricket greats Javed Miandad and Zaheer Abbas should be appointed as batting coaches, while former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram should be made the bowling coach of the national team.

The experience of Zaheer and Javed will ‘make a hell of difference’ to the fragile batting line-up, which has always let the team down where ever it matters most, it added.

The paper slammed the PCB for never having bothered to utilise the services of Javed and Zaheer despite having such greats at their disposal.

Referring to the forthcoming Pakistan-West Indies series, the paper noted that while the host team was not as strong as it once was, one could not afford to take on the opposition lightly, adding that the West Indian squad was more than capable of defeating any top team of the world at its own grounds.

The paper said that there was “still time left” for the PCB to rectify its past mistakes and appoint someone “who has the guts to put the team back on winning path. Intikhab and Waqar, as all have witnessed, can’t take Pakistan cricket forward.”

“The time is ripe to replace them without any further delay and this will only be possible if the PCB acts in the best interests of the country and nation. The old glory days of Pakistan cricket can be regained by appointing right persons for the job,” it concluded. (ANI)