Sports

Flagged: ‘Latif has been unimpressive as Afghanistan coach’

Country’s board not to renew his contract after ‘poor performance’.

Fawad Hussain June 10, 2011

KARACHI:

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) will not renew coach Rashid Latif’s contract after the former Pakistan captain failed to impress the board with his and the team’s performance under him.

Latif’s one-year contract expires on July 31 and the ACB has already started searching for a ‘competent’ coach to replace the former wicket-keeper.

“We’re not going to renew Latif’s contract,” the ACB Chief Executive Naseemullah Danish told The Express Tribune. “We are not satisfied with his performance as coach. We hired him with great expectations but he failed to meet them after which we have decided to hire someone more competent.”

Danish cited Afghanistan’s recent drubbing against Pakistan ‘A’ when the minnows suffered a 3-0 loss that proved to be the last nail in the coffin and forced the ACB to look for a new coach.

“We are very disappointed with the team’s performance under Latif. After the loss against Pakistan ‘A’, we realised that the team was going down instead of up under Latif. The team, under former coach Kabir Khan, had started showing improvement from day one but Latif, after spending months with them, has brought no improvement at all.”

The Afghanistan team, under Latif, won silver medal at the Asian Games last year and defeated Pakistan in the semi-final. Despite the achievement, the ACB chief was not prepared to credit Latif.

“We should have won the gold medal in Asian Games. We lost the final against Bangladesh which is not a strong team. That was also a setback as the Afghanistan team is immensely talented.”

However, Danish said that Latif will continue as coach of Afghanistan until his contract with the ACB will expire.

Latif was to quit himself?

Although Latif is yet to give his side of the story, an official close to the former Pakistan captain said that he was also not willing to sign a new contract due to the differences with the ACB after the team’s tour of Pakistan.

“Latif is unhappy with the ACB because he is not given the responsibility on his terms and conditions despite a prior commitment. He also believes that some players deliberately underperformed against Pakistan ‘A’ to have him removed as coach and they want Kabir back. Due to all this, he may not sign the new contract.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (11)

ITL | 13 years ago | Reply @Khan.....I never knew Karachi was your own land too. Can you define the definition of "own land"? Ok accepted, you can cross over into Waziristan illegally, live without passports in places such as Peshawar, Quetta etc. (even though it is illegal). What about the 50,000 Afghans in Karachi then? Don't be a hypocrite. Accept that Afghan refugees have been graciously hosted in all parts of PAKISTAN and that they are a burden, and that all Afghans should be kissing Pakistan's feet for being good hosts. Now do us a favour; instead of crossing into other people's countries with the old and outdated idea that this is "own land", why not return into your actual "own land" (in Afghanistan)?

Khan | 13 years ago | Reply @Adnan: what u on about, what hosting rafugees? read ur history, we went to our own land so u better no the facts before you speak,,, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Afghanmap1893.JPG

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Ajmal | 13 years ago | Reply We will see what the Afghans will do after this ok? Don't talk crap about our team AK. If a coach can't do what he should, they can always try with another one, and yeah it's true, Bangladesh and other countries might have better facilities and stuff, but our team is very talented and they could perform alot better than they have done in the past. We aren't like pakis, they lost to India and now they are saying that it was a match fixing. Rashid failed as a coach, under Kabir khans time , the team were doing really well and now when we get a proper batting coach, instead of Rashid who was actually a wicket keeper during his playing time. I think our team will improve and will become better. And remember one more thing, the match against Bangladesh wasn't against their national, it was like 9 players from the national but the rest were from their A team.. and it was a weak side, we should beat them, there was just one over short and we lost..

AB | 13 years ago | Reply Lol your wrong rashid is sleeping at Karachi how he can coach afghan players he is jest coming to Kabul when afghan team have same tour rashid is coming and coaching the team for two week haaahahahaha it is not coaching man

Adnan | 13 years ago | Reply @AK: Too right! National trait- look at how they have repaid our hospitality! For years we have hosted millions of Afghan refugees because their own country has been in the throes of civil war. Not one word of thanks and only complaints about 'Pakistani interference' in Afghan affairs. Talk about ingrates! If Pakistan sealed the border and stopped transit trade, the whole country would collapse. Oh wait a minute, it already has! Somebody, what comes after a collapse? Cant really find the word!

Adnan | 13 years ago | Reply Could it be they just dont know how to play and are a talentless bunch?!

sown khan | 13 years ago | Reply i thing Afghanistan should rely on coaches instead of blaming them A new Pakistani should be taken

sadan | 13 years ago | Reply Great dicision doing some thing is beter than nothing ACB shoud hire one of these (javid mandad,mohammad azaharudin, and fleming)

kingly | 13 years ago | Reply you said it AK .... all true

AK | 13 years ago | Reply Look at all these ungrateful Afghans. Their team won the silver medal in Asian games and Latif was a loyal coach to them, even supporting their team over Pakistan. Its due to him that their team came in the limelight in the first place. I'm afraid the Afghans are feeling too high and trying to kiss the sky. And they think they can beat Bangladesh? Lol. They should know that their team is new and can not have such stanrdards as of yet. There is no cricket in Afg. all their players have been brought up in Pak so they should be thankful. It will take another 50 yrs before cricket fully spreads in Afghanistan. How can they carry such expectations? I can bet my money that Kabir Khan or no Kabir Khan, their team is going to perform as it is. They should be relegated to play first class matches as they are not fit for international matches. Too bad that they dont realise this.. I lost whatever respect I had for this team. Bunch of selfish bigots.

pl/sql | 13 years ago | Reply Wow! That's quite an insult for an ex-player. LOL

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