“What can I say about a coach whose name I have not heard before?” says Former wicket-keeper Rashid Latif. PHOTO: AFP
KARACHI: Pakistan’s appointment of Trent Woodhill as batting coach for the Champions Trophy has been met with bafflement, with former greats saying they had never even heard of the Australian.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday appointed the 42-year-old Woodhill for three weeks after the team’s disastrous performance with the bat on their recent tour of South Africa.
Woodhill is currently assistant coach at Delhi Daredevils.
Former Test captain Hanif Mohammad, one of Pakistan’s all-time great batsman and for many years holder of the world-record first class score of 499, was unimpressed.
“Who is Woodhill?” said Hanif. “I heard his name for the first time in my life. I am surprised how the PCB chose him when his credentials are not known.”
Former wicket-keeper and captain Rashid Latif also claimed ignorance.
“What can I say about a coach whose name I have not heard before?” said Latif. “Pakistan have a batting legend in Javed Miandad who should be helping the batsmen.”
Miandad, Pakistan’s leading Test run-scorer with 8,832, is currently a director general in the PCB. He will help the batsmen during a tune-up camp in Abbottabad before the team’s departure for Britain.
Former captain Moin Khan said Inzamamul Haq should have been given the job.
“Pakistan has so many big names who could have helped the batsmen in a better way than an unknown person,” said Moin.
However, PCB director of international cricket Intikhab Alam defended Woodhill’s appointment for a short stint, saying that he has rich experience as a batting and fielding coach.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 2nd, 2013.
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John Buchanan is a good coach and he is wonderful wherever he coaches I agree with others that anyone can be great coach if they the training and if their tails off and make players do the same could be a great coach and most of the star players don't have the patience or the training to help others. Best coaches have never been great players only a few...American football have a few great players as great coaches but most don't have patience for all the hard work a coach has to do to achieve results. Pakistan has had good results with Wasim and Waqar as coaches. Every time Waqar has coached, our bowlers have performed wonderfully like word cup when Wahab Riaz was unplayable against India. Give Woodhill the benefit of doubt he is already proving himself in the IPL.
John bucchan did ever hear his name. He is former Aus coach, same coach who make aussies unbeatable team for almost decade. Guess what he never been a "great" cricter. These Paki cricketers need to understand that coaching is professional job.
How many times will we try Miandad as a coach. Great player no doubt but he didn't make an equally good coach so maybe this suggestion should be shelved by now. We don't really have the batting expertise so a professional (foreign) batting coach seems appropriate. We don't necessarily need a great batsman but a decent coach. Senior players once again showing their limited vision. Coaching is a modern concept, these senior players are not obviously in touch with modern times nor modern techniques, they can't fully understand how it works.
Once again the Pakistani greats show their complete ignorance and limited vision as perfectly encapsulated by Umer, playing the game well does not automatically translate into being a good coach...look at sports from around the globe and only a handful of star players have been good coaches...lets see the man's stint before judging...and the ex-players should keep their opinions in check until they have some facts to base them on...
Coaching is completely different ball game (no pun intended) vs playing the actual game as a player. Some of the best NBA and soccer coaches in the world have never played the game as a professional. Let's give him a chance. It's a 3 week venture anyways.
Sadly, being a world class cricket legend doesn't mean that you are equally great in coaching and management skills.Although some great cricketers do venture in this art/field of play,with mixed results.So, there can't be a monopoly /exclusive right of a certain group of senior players.This applies almost universally on many other games that are played worldwide.
The problem with local senior players is that at times they kind of encourage politics with in the team itself to achieve their goals,which can be encouraging for some while discouraging for the other players being a part of a team.
PCB must have seen something in the man before appointing him as a batting coach. He's on trial, as Intekhab Alam say,"if the management is happy with his work his contract will be extended." Let's see his performance first and then comment upon whom we are dealing with.