Sports

Waqar Younis has hidden agenda against seniors: Abdul Razzaq

Pakistan all-rounder slams national team coach for ruining the careers of many senior players

Sports Desk April 06, 2015

A file photo of Pakistan cricket team coach Waqar Younis playing football during a training session. PHOTO: AFP

KARACHI: Pakistan team's blistering all-rounder Abdul Razzaq slammed the national team coach for ruining the careers of many senior players in the past through his 'hidden agenda', reported Press Trust of India.

Even before the start of the World Cup, Razzaq presented his theory of Waqar launching a campaign against seniors.

"Waqar Younis has some sort of hidden agenda against senior players and whenever he has been appointed coach he has shunted them out and tried to destroy their careers," Razzaq said in an interview.

"When he first became coach in 2011, he targeted me and Muhammad Yousuf and the latter never played for Pakistan again even though he could have carried on for a few more years. Shoaib Akhtar also had to retire in his previous tenure."

Read: Razzaq hits out at Waqar for campaign against 'seniors'

Razzaq said Waqar was responsible for ousting Shahid Afridi in 2011 stripping him of his captaincy.

"Since then we have not progressed in limited overs cricket particularly ODIs and I blame Misbah-ul-Haq for this. People look at his performances to defend him but the truth is he has totally changed the mindset of our players to being fearful and slow and even the new players are affected by this new culture."

He further said that Waqar is not stopping in the near future and has targeted Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal this time.

"I am sorry to say this but Waqar was a great bowler but as a manager his management skills are very poor and this is because of his agenda against seniors and his refusal to change with times," he said.

"After what happened in the World Cup I think Pakistan needs to change its approach to one-day cricket and we need to produce more power hitters and genuine all-rounders. Unless we change the balance and mindsets of our one-day players Pakistan will continue to lag in the ODI rankings."

He concluded with remarks on Pakistani players' exclusion from the Indian Premier League hurting their performance.

"Players from other countries have taken advantage of the IPL but unfortunately Pakistani players are missing out for not fault of their own," he said.

The story originally appeared on NDTV.com

COMMENTS (12)

pasha | 9 years ago | Reply First of all Razzak is brilliant player of the world cricket and no one can deny it.He still has ability to hit long distance sixes which few players only fo it. waqur younnis is worst bowler with only pace and no sense, he shall be thrown out of the coach along with hafeez. Both are waste and done nothing for country.

Zeeshan | 9 years ago | Reply Don't agree Mr.Abdul Razzaq. Discipline is the utmost important for sports professionals. There should be no comprise on the same. Taking sides of Umar Akmal who has yet to prove his so called talent in the past 6 years makes a question mark on your cricketing abilities. The problem is that none of our senior players want to retire ever, be it you, Yousuf, Afridi, etc. You are almost 40 years Mr.Abdul Razzaq, at least be truthful about your age. Your fitness levels were not up to the mark in the last series you played, the throw hardly reaches the keeper from third man. The level of fitness Misbah possess at the age of 40 I don't think yourselves and Yousuf would have achieved the same. Waqar is doing a good job by cleansing the team from player power. Waqar was the victim of the same in the past. Burry your ego once and for all. Thanks

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Such Bolta Hoon | 9 years ago | Reply No player is above the game. Discipline is the key. The senior players that you talk about Abdul Razzaq are no longer performing.There is a sell by date of these players. Players should themselves have the courage and shame to understand that they should give others the chance to serve the country knowing that their performance is undermining the whole team and damaging Pakistan's name. Players like Afridi and Younus should retire now. Razzaq please stay out of politics and let Waqar do his job. Ahmed shehzad and Umer Akmal should be kicked out.

Ahmed | 9 years ago | Reply So Razzaq thinks Umar Akmal and Shahzad should be in the team?? How low will these "seniors" get? Umar and Shahzad do not deserve to be in the side. Stop giving us lame excuses. Retire with dignity or else you will lose whatever respect you have left. See the case of Mr Younis Khan! who has been "rested" but still will not retire from ODI's. Ego and greed are a disease.

Shah | 9 years ago | Reply That is always the problem of having any local senior player as coach. Either they caught up 'grooming' the players from their backyards only or they start politics, so is this surprising at all? Waqar in my opinion is good as a bowling coach but he definitely can't be a coach considering this problems, politics and 'stupid' egoistic behavior. Aqib can be a great coach considering his humble nature and the way he brought players like Irfan or Wahab riaz etc

Pakki | 9 years ago | Reply Actually nothing really matters except performance. And the worst thing is that new hidden talent is still hidden

Mirza | 9 years ago | Reply Razzak has said that Pakistan needs great all-rounders and power hitters. Who has stopped them from doing so, Misbah or W.Y? There has been the biggest all-rounder/power hitter in the team and he failed miserably. It is not that Umar Akmal did not get chances but it was his non serious attitude and throwing his wicket away with poor shot selection. Some of these players may have great talent but they have failed time and again and are not dependable in any sense of the word. The statement goes on to allege Misbah creating a culture of timid batting but Afridi, Akmal and others never adopted that and yet failed again and again. The number of chances Umar Akmal got not too many people are that lucky. Actually the culture of powerful gangs in the team is the cause of decline not the discipline and teamwork.

Ahmed | 9 years ago | Reply Though Waqar's coaching style has a few flaws, the players first need to look at themselves before putting the blame for their ouster from the team on someone else. All those who watched Abdul Razzaq closely in 2010 and 2011 would remember that his fitness was not up to the standard set by other top ranked sides. If you are going to bowl and field like a 50 year old then obviously you don't deserve to be in the side. Period. Mohammad Yousuf's focus around that time was more towards tabligh than cricket and was one of the guys responsible for disrupting the team environment so he too was rightly shown the door. And Shoaib Akhtar though he was motivated did not have fitness needed to compete at the top level. He was unfortunate to have Ross Taylor dropped twice off his bowling but his second spell showed that he was not physically fit enough to play 50 overs. Towards the end of the New Zealand innings, both him and Razzaq bowled slow and juicy full tosses and half trackers and got smashed all over the park. It was clear they both were struggling. Waqar and Afridi were right to replace him with Wahab Riaz who picked up a 5 wicket haul in the semi final. It was because of poor batting that Pakistan failed to chase a modest total and not because Shoaib Akhtar was left out (as Shoaib Akhtar likes to believe)

Waqar Masood | 9 years ago | Reply Shut the crap up! You are not in the side because you don't deserve to be. Muhammad Yousaf's dirty politics resulted in his exit from the sport and Shoaib Akhtar had too many fitness issues. Similarly, Akmal and Shehzad have underachieved thus far and need a wake-up call. We cannot continue giving them chances on talent alone. To sum up, I ask ET, Ye Razzaq tha ya mazzaq tha?

Jigz Khan | 9 years ago | Reply Waqas Yunis was a Great bowler no doubt but very poor Coach because of lack of Managerial Skills. He Can't handle players properly. agreed with A.Razzaq that he ruined the career of Many Senior players who could have groomed upcoming batting/bowling/all-rounder lots.

samir | 9 years ago | Reply There is no concept of senior or junior in sports. Either you are a performer or you are not. Selection is done on merit and current form; if age is the criteria then my grandfather deserves to play more than the current seniors.

Pakistani | 9 years ago | Reply Razzaq is one of the best all-rounders alive. Just watch his 5 fours to Mcgrath in an over. Too bad, he's the victim of such dirty politics. How long will Pakistan play the price for this?

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