It is almost like a giant cliche when Pakistan’s batsmen are criticised but their woeful performance at the ICC Champions Trophy has been the main reason behind the team’s twin defeats. PHOTO: AFP
KARACHI:
With no hope left of qualifying for the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals, Pakistan are looking to end their campaign on a winning note by toppling India on Saturday.
Pakistan lost back-to-back matches in the event, going down to the West Indies by two wickets before South Africa prevailed by 67 runs in the team’s second match. The twin defeats and India’s win over the West Indies meant Pakistan became the first team whose semi-final hopes were dashed, leaving their last fixture against India nothing more but a way to save face before the players return home.
India, who have already confirmed their place in the last-four, have been in superb form so far. Shikhar Dhawan has led the team’s strong batting line-up and bowlers have done exceptionally well. Pakistan batsmen, on the other hand, have had a horrid time at the crease with captain Misbahul Haq and opener Nasir Jamshed the only ones to spend more than a few minutes in the middle.
Head coach Dav Whatmore said the match against India was crucial as the team was looking to end its campaign on a winning note.
“It’s an important match,” Whatmore said in Birmingham. “It’s certainly not a dead game for us and we will look to give our best.”
Whatmore was disappointed with the team’s performance in the tournament. Pakistan failed to last 50 overs in both matches and a woeful batting performance – for long the team’s weak area – came despite training sessions in Abbottabad and sessions with former captain Javed Miandad. The appointment of Trent Woodhill as batting coach did not change things either.
“Obviously it’s disappointing as we came here to win. The batsmen didn’t do well but there were reasons behind it. We’ve identified them and we know what to do [to rectify them].”
He felt the difficult conditions were also a reason behind the failure.
“The conditions are different from one venue to another. It’s a bit harder to bat in these conditions.”
Following Pakistan’s ouster from the event, the selection committee and team management came under fire for the team combination but Whatmore was not convinced with the criticism. The coach said the team was balanced and he found no problem in the team combination. “I am totally satisfied with the team combination.”
On demoting Mohammad Hafeez to number three, the coach said it was the requirement of the team. “Hafeez has done well in this position in the past as well.”
Published in The Express Tribune, June 13th, 2013.
COMMENTS (32)
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I think,batting is always concern for pakistan.Every reason to go out of big events due to failure of batsman.you know that due to a batting kenya had quilify for semi-final of World cup
Plz bring in Azhar ali to team and don't drop asad sahfique, throw away imran farhat, shoaib malik and Kamran akmal.
Put hafeez farhat azar out bring afridi razzaq and zia ul haq in
Whatmore - why dont u go back home. Guaranteed better results
@Blunt: Try adding the numbers of wins and losses. You will need a computer for that as the list of losses is too long to count.
Whatmore has not come up with the best explanation for this disaster. However, if any of the players have been under performing either deliberately, as a gripe against the coach or captain OR have been indulging in a bit of spot fixing knowing their careers are almost over, then they deserve to have the book thrown at them.
Will be happy if we win over India. Accomplished ICC Trophy :)
Yes Mr. Watmore, Reasons behind it are identified now you should resign since can't confront with Punjabi lobby that has been screwing and politicizing the PCB since decades.
haha...aiming to finish tour on a high note..will that make people forget the entire tour? Whatmore has done nothing since taking charge
haha...aiming to finish tour on a high note..will that make people forget the entire tour?
Everyone here on ET seems to be supporting Misbah but is it only me who saw that he was putting pressure on the batsman at the other end for overs on end by not taking a single run?
Eventually he started hitting in the 36th over before getting out a few overs later. By then the game was already lost.
No counter attack. Putting pressure at the other end. Seems like he wants to lose the match but be remembered as the person who brought the team to the brink of a win.
Foreign coaches don't work in Pakistan. Period! We should stop imitating India and follow what works.
The reasons identified by Whatmore are as below :
Imran Farhat Nasir Jamshed Mohammad Hafeez Shoaib Malik Umar Amin Kamran Akmal
End of story.
Whatmore is not making any sense. Farhat did relatively better than other batsmen in the last ODI series against SA. But he has never been consistent. He is a free-loader at best. The team combination suffered because of him. Akmal and Jamshed are a natural choice as openers. Then having Malik come in during the middle overs is also a bad idea. Can't remember the last time he played a match-winning innings. And I am not willing to believe that we do not have enough bench strength to replace Malik and Farhat. Wahab needs to be groomed as a bowling all-rounder. Sadly, even Hafeez is not more than a flat track bully who freezes when the ball moves around. The entire South African tour and the CT bear a testament to his batting woes. Misbah and Jamshed are the only 2 batsmen who have justified their selection. The really sad bit is that Pakistan will take on SA in the UAE later this year and will again perform better than they have in the last one year, which will again mask our incompetence as a batting unit.
@Blunt.
Pakistan defeated India in Champions trophy 2004: http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/66207.html
As well as in 2009: http://www.espncricinfo.com/iccct2009/engine/current/match/415278.html
@Billoo Bhaya: No need to go beyond, just look at the result of Pak-India Match is last Champions trophy. But again you may say it was not a 'major' meet, cuz you guys had lost.
Drop all the batsmen other than Misbah, Nasir, Hafeez and Asad Ali.
I did my own analysis and this is what I came up with: 1. Can't Bat. 2. Can't Field.
For the first time in my life, I am wishing we lose to India, and not just lose, I am hoping India hands us the worst defeat of all-time. And I hope Farhat, Hafeez, Malik and Kamran play a major part in this defeat so that they may be ousted from the team for good, InshaAllah. "The batsmen didn’t do well but there were reasons behind it. We’ve identified them and we know what to do [to rectify them].” Lame excuses. So you who was stopping you from doing anything before. There are no batsmen at all minus a couple. "The conditions are different from one venue to another. It’s a bit harder to bat in these conditions" OK, coach is starting to sound ridiculous now, of course conditions will be different from venue to venue, what are you expecting? this is international cricket! I am all for consistency but if the head coach is to sound as ridiculous as this then he may as well be sacked as well.
WHAT is there MORE to say???? Even if the team wins INDIA!!!!!
Mr. Whatmore! It took you too many months and thousand of dollars in salaries to identify the reason for defeats while the public knew those empty bullet shells long ago.
Correction to earlier comment: swallow*
@GhostRider: Your prayers will be answered. Pakistan has always lost to India in all major meets.
Whatmore says "reasons for defeats identified", my question to him, "did you watch mirror"?
We cannot win over team India. They are professional players.
What is Azhar Ali doing with the ODI average of 41!? And this is more to do with fans who want to see flashy players instead of the correct ones. Both of the matches Pakistan lost were low scoring and had Azhar been there, results could have been a lot different, imo.
First time in my life I wish Pakistan lose to India. This is the necessary bitter pill to sollow in order to get incompetent people like Imran farhat, Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik out of the team.
The problem with Pakistani batting is that there are no attacking batsmen in the team. The try to leave every ball in the first 20 overs and waiting the two new balls to get old. The problem with that strategy is that the balls don't get old because they don't touch it with the bat. We need some hammers upfront who could give some beating to the new balls.Just like the Indian openers did the other day. The news balls get old even in 10 overs and then it became easier for the following batsmen.
Drop the coach and bring back Mohsin Hasan Khan! He know how to win!
Whatmore deserves a big round of applause for such a fantastic explanation. He should also be sacked in addition to a major overhaul of the team and the selection committee. It is high time now to have a system of accountability in place to save future of Pakistan cricket.
Drop these bunch of losers. No one apart from Miabah and Nasir deserve to be in team. All others are past their best by date. These individuals should be dropped. Why are Shoaib & Akmal still in the team ? One is known trouble maker and the other has a dubious link with match fixers. Why was this overage and under prepared team chosen ? To put things into perspective, one Indian player scored more in a single innings than the combined scores of our top 5 "batsmen" in 2 matches.