Pakistan’s interim head coach Aaqib Javed highlighted concerns over the team’s lack of consistency and the insufficient emphasis on four-day domestic cricket, which is crucial for skill development. Following defeats to New Zealand and India in the Champions Trophy, Aaqib noted the impact of frequent changes in team leadership on performance. He stressed that players need to prioritize playing longer formats to enhance their abilities. Aaqib also mentioned inadequate bowling pressure during matches against India and urged for a shift towards a more adept T20 squad, emphasizing the need for fearless play as they prepare for upcoming tournaments.
Aaqib Javed, the interim head coach and national selector of Pakistan, voiced his worries on Tuesday regarding the inconsistency and lack of continuity within Pakistan Cricket. He lamented that many players are neglecting four-day domestic matches, which are crucial for enhancing their skills. The defending champions, Pakistan, faced losses in their first two matches against New Zealand and India, resulting in their exit from the Champions Trophy. Their final Group A match against Bangladesh was also abandoned due to rain.
“If you aim to advance Pakistan cricket, then it’s essential to maintain consistency and continuity from the PCB Chairman down to the players,” he stated during a media briefing on Tuesday.
“Just look at how many captains, coaches, selectors, and board Chairmen have changed since last year. This is never an ideal setup for the team, and it indeed impacts their performance.”
“No improvement without domestic cricket”
Aaqib, a former fast bowler, expressed his dissatisfaction with the lack of accountability shown by certain players during the three-nation ODI series and the home Champions Trophy.
“I believe a coach can only do so much from the sidelines, but he cannot take the field himself. Some of our players must start focusing on their game and strive to be consistent performers,” he remarked.
“I understand the current international schedule is demanding, but if you only engage in 70 percent T20 cricket without participating in four-day domestic matches, you’re unlikely to prepare adequately for Tests or ODIs, nor will you improve as a player.
“Sadly, most of our players are not making the effort to step away from T20 cricket and are unwilling to sacrifice time to participate in four-day games that would help them enhance their skillsets.” Aaqib also highlighted that the team’s underwhelming performance was partly due to the fast bowlers failing to meet expectations during the Champions Trophy.
“Karachi and Dubai are the two places where reverse swing is most effective, yet our bowlers were unable to exploit this. I’ve discussed this with Haris Rauf and Shaheen, advising them to refine their skillsets,” he explained.
“Pressure in India matches”
Aaqib ascribed Pakistan’s defeats to India to a lack of bowling pressure.
According to him, Pakistan is losing matches to India because the bowlers aren’t performing adequately.
“Historically, we have succeeded against India by taking wickets and creating pressure. This team had the potential to win but succumbed to the match’s pressure,” he noted.
“Playing against India is never straightforward; it’s always a high-pressure game, especially for new players.” He also mentioned that the losses to India during the last T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy have intensified criticism directed at the team and players.
“I empathize with the pain and disappointment stemming from our failures, but we must recognize that a player or team cannot be evaluated based on just one or two series. Consistency and patience are key,” he emphasized.
He reminded that Pakistan had performed well in recent ODI series against Australia and South Africa prior to the Champions Trophy.
“However, our selections did not yield the expected results, and we must acknowledge that New Zealand and India were more well-rounded and confident teams.” He acknowledged that the choice to exclude Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan from the New Zealand tour was made to experiment with a new approach and foster a modern mindset among the players in T20 cricket.
“Most other teams have 70 percent of their players in separate T20 squads, and we are working towards that as well in preparation for the Asia Cup and World T20 Cup. We need our players to embrace fearless cricket.”
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