Pakistan cricket: dire need of consistency

Pakistan cricket goes into 2014 with uncertainty over futures of national team captain, coach, even board chairman.

The year 2013 was a mixed bag for Pakistan cricket, with the unpredictability that has been long associated with the sport — the number one passion of the country — refusing to go away. As we enter 2014, uncertainty reigns supreme; the chairman of the cricket board Najam Sethi’s tenure can end on a court order any day, the coach Dav Whatmore is counting the number of days left before his contract runs out and captain Misbahul Haq knows well that curtains will be drawn on his career the moment his batting form deserts him.

Pakistan Test players are celebrating the New Year in what is Whatmore’s farewell series, with the first Test against Sri Lanka having started on December 31 and is perhaps, the only Test in living memory to start and end in different years!

Even on the last day of the year, the team continued to surprise and agonise fans and pundits alike. At Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed stadium, Misbah opted to bat first after winning the toss and shocked all by handing a Test cap to fast-bowler Bilawal Bhatti. The right-armer was not even a part of the original Test squad chosen by the selectors. The national selection committee and the PCB are mum at the selection; it is pertinent to mention here that the board did not even deem it necessary to announce Bhatti’s retention in the Test squad after the One-Day International series ended last week.

More importantly, the induction of Bhatti (Misbah’s team mate at SNGPL) is at the expense of Mohammad Talha, who was forced to cool his heels outside the playing arena. Talha, labelled by many as the fastest bowler in Pakistan at present, has found it impossible to break into the national fold despite consistent performances in recent years and when he was ready to re-enter international cricket after the ill-fated 2009 Lahore Test against Sri Lanka, he was forced to see his party gate-crashed by Bhatti. If Pakistan cricket has to move forward in 2014, instances like these need not be repeated. Bhatti, for his part, made a tremendous start by triggering a Lankan collapse on the Test’s first day, but the fact is that his selection ahead of Talha supersedes the system.

Similarly, Zulfiqar Babar, supposedly ‘injured’, claimed a 10-wicket haul for Wapda in the latest round of the President’s Trophy, but is seemingly paying a heavy price for splitting his webbing during the second Test against South Africa in October.

After the Sri Lanka Tests, Pakistan would gear up for the Asia Cup and the World Twenty20 events in Bangladesh, where the political turmoil, coupled with anti-Pakistan sentiments have jeopardised the national team’s participation. A final decision in this regard is still to come. After these two tournaments, the national team is expected to tour Sri Lanka for a limited-overs series, while in the second-half of the year, Australia and New Zealand are scheduled to play Pakistan in the UAE.

The most important announcement after the Sri Lanka Tests is of the coach who will replace Whatmore. The ordinary returns of the Australian, especially in the Test format, have proven for the umpteenth time that foreign coaches do not work in our environment. Considering the result of this experiment, it is important for the PCB to appoint a local coach, who can gel with the team system and ensure that there are no compromises on team selection. During his stint, Whatmore chose the diplomacy route and was reportedly keener on having a smooth relationship with Misbah and Mohammad Hafeez rather than on influencing selection or tactics. Former captain and current manager, Moin Khan, is the most likely replacement for Whatmore. The seasoned campaigner has an impressive resume and a powerful personality to boot.

Pakistan cricket has the capacity and the potential to record historic wins in 2014, with the talent at its disposal. All that is needed is a determined mindset, which can shrug off the ills of unpredictability and uncertainty.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2^nd, 2014.

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