Educate players at an early age: Waqar

Waqar Younis urges PCB to initiate training of players from young age in order to avoid controversies.

LAHORE: Coach Waqar Younis has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to initiate training for players from a young age in order to avoid a repeat of the controversies during the tour of England.

Pakistan failed to win any series against England - lost the Tests 3-1, Twenty20 series 2-0 and the One-Day International (ODI) series 3-2 - and faced a spate of allegations during the Test and ODI series adding unwanted pressure on the players in the middle of the tour.

“Players should be trained and given proper education from the age of 16,” said Younis on his arrival in Lahore following the completion of the tour. “It’s very difficult to coach them at the international level if they are not trained. But if they are brought up with a proper education, it will definitely help them to stay away from controversies.”

Pakistan arrived in England towards the end of June to play a ‘home’ series against Australia following the opposition’s refusal to visit Pakistan due to security concerns. Following wins in both Twenty20s, Pakistan tied the two-match Test series 1-1 before succumbing to the hosts in the series that followed.

Demanding tour took its toll

Younis termed the three-month-long tour that saw Pakistan accused of spot-fixing with one of the ODIs also being investigated due to a ‘scoring pattern’ witnessed in the match, the most difficult one both “on and off the field”.

“It was such a long and a demanding tour for the players but the scandals and controversies both on and off the field added the extra and unwanted pressure on us. It was not easy at all in cricketing terms and also because of all the controversies surrounding it. But we have extracted a lot of positive from it.”

The coach, while looking forward to the future series, confirmed that the emphasis on including youngsters in the playing eleven will be persisted with for the series against South Africa that takes place in the UAE from October.

Captain deems tour ‘most difficult’

Pakistan’s ODI and Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi also described the demanding tour as the ‘most difficult’ of his career but praised the unity of the team that has often been questioned in the past.

“It was tough because of the controversies and it became very difficult to cope with because every time we went out of the hotel, people passed remarks against us,” said Afridi. “It is due to all this that it became the most difficult tour of my 14-year career. The best part of the whole tour was that the players showed unity even in difficult times and gave a good fight in the one-day series.”

Afridi, who retired from Test cricket after his first-match back for four years, hinted on a return to the format if he was required for the upcoming tour next month. “I will think about it and if the team needs it, I may consider playing the Test series against South Africa.”

Afridi, describing the ODI series loss as “disappointing”, added that a win for the team would have helped given the allegations and accusations.

Coach

Waqar Younis

“It was not easy in cricketing terms and also because of all the controversies surrounding it. But we have extracted a lot of positive from it.”

Captain

Shahid Afridi

“The best part of the whole tour was that the players showed unity even in difficult times and gave a good fight in the one-day series.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2010.