Giving Misbah three posts a blunder: Saqlain

Mohammad Abdullah, Staff Reporter

Former Pakistan spin great Saqlain Mushtaq expressed his displeasure over the appointment of ex-captain Misbah-Ul-Haq as chief selector, batting coach and head coach of the national team.

“Misbah is a gem of a person and a great captain but I think he made a mistake by accepting three crucial posts simultaneously. When you are holding three positions at the same time it becomes difficult to do justice with either of them.

“It is not a mistake committed by him but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has done a bigger blunder by giving him three posts at the same time,” said the 42-year-old.

Misbah was given three posts in the PCB in a revamp of the squad after the World Cup debacle in England earlier this year.

But after he took charge, Pakistan were whitewashed by a touring Sri Lanka in their home series. Pakistan are playing their first series in the home country since 2008.

After a terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team bus in 2008 no international team has agreed to tour the country due to security fears.

Despite a poor ODI form in the World Cup, Pakistan were on the top of the T20 rankings before the series and were heavy favourites to win against underdogs Lanka.

Saqlain was speaking on the sidelines of the Kings Academy’s training programme. He is teaching the tricks of the trade to the aspiring cricketers voluntarily as a guest coach at the academy.

Saqlain, who was a part of England’s coaching staff, said: “Everyone needs to work in his domain. A cardio cannot do the work of an ortho or vice and versa.

“In the same way, one person can’t play three roles at the same time. In England cricket team’s coaching staff, there were three coaches under the head coach and I was working in the capacity of a bowling coach.

“We use to filter a lot of information before it reaches the head coach. We use to take care of our respective domains and the result is in front of the world,” he added. England won their first World Cup after beating New Zealand in the final by virtue of hitting more boundaries after the score was tied in the Super Over.

Commenting on the dearth of bowling talent in Pakistan – the country that is known for its lethal pacers and shrewd spinners – he said: “Because of the shorter version of the games, good bowlers are not coming on the international stage. When you are a spinner and playing a T20 game, you tend to get into the defensive mode rather than trying to take wickets.

“Even the club cricket are playing a shorter version. Unless you play a longer version, you will not nurture good cricketers. And this is the problem that Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal are facing.

“In T20s, you don’t get time to settle down or do anything. It is fast and furious. If these players had made their comeback in ODIs they would have put up a better performance,” concluded Saqlain.