A brave decision
Keeping the conspiracy theories aside, Hafeez’s decision to step down as T20 captain seems a brave one.
Hafeez had played an active part in the selection of the 15-man squad that represented the country in the tournament and has accepted that they failed to deliver. PHOTO: APP/FILE
Pakistan’s unceremonious exit from the WorldTwenty20, quote understandably so, did not go down well with fans and the experts of the game. Immediately after the 82-run defeat to the defending champions, West Indies, cricketing pundits called for an overhaul of the team. Following this, Mohammad Hafeez, the only captain to lead Pakistan in two editions of the biggest tournament of the shortest format of the game, decided to step down.
Hafeez has taken full responsibility for the failure of his team to reach the last four stage of the event for the first time. While many claim that he was forced to resign, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi, who conducted a three-hour post-mortem of the defeat in company of the head coach, Moin Khan, and Hafeez, contradicted their claims.
Keeping the conspiracy theories aside, Hafeez’s decision seems a brave one — not many Pakistan captains of the past have relinquished the opportunity of being captain of the national team in even more adverse circumstances. He played an active part in the selection of the 15-man squad that represented the country in the tournament and has accepted that they failed to deliver. He has also said that he was disappointed at his own performance in the event as well (55 runs in four innings and a solitary wicket).
The next few months are barren for Pakistan cricket; most of the leading players are expected to take part in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) that follows the Indian Premier League. Before the CPL, the players have two months free. The PCB is trying to organise a short series yet the PCB chief said that the Board was not in a hurry to announce a replacement for Hafeez. Sethi and Co. have to decide the future of the team management as well: the contracts of Moin, fielding coach Shoaib Mohammad and batting consultant Zaheer Abbas expired after the WorldT20. Hopefully the PCB will continue with the trio as sweeping changes in the management are not necessary and they deserve a proper run like their predecessors, Dav Whatmore and Julien Fountain, enjoyed.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2014.
Hafeez has taken full responsibility for the failure of his team to reach the last four stage of the event for the first time. While many claim that he was forced to resign, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi, who conducted a three-hour post-mortem of the defeat in company of the head coach, Moin Khan, and Hafeez, contradicted their claims.
Keeping the conspiracy theories aside, Hafeez’s decision seems a brave one — not many Pakistan captains of the past have relinquished the opportunity of being captain of the national team in even more adverse circumstances. He played an active part in the selection of the 15-man squad that represented the country in the tournament and has accepted that they failed to deliver. He has also said that he was disappointed at his own performance in the event as well (55 runs in four innings and a solitary wicket).
The next few months are barren for Pakistan cricket; most of the leading players are expected to take part in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) that follows the Indian Premier League. Before the CPL, the players have two months free. The PCB is trying to organise a short series yet the PCB chief said that the Board was not in a hurry to announce a replacement for Hafeez. Sethi and Co. have to decide the future of the team management as well: the contracts of Moin, fielding coach Shoaib Mohammad and batting consultant Zaheer Abbas expired after the WorldT20. Hopefully the PCB will continue with the trio as sweeping changes in the management are not necessary and they deserve a proper run like their predecessors, Dav Whatmore and Julien Fountain, enjoyed.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2014.