NEW YORK: How many times have you heard the words “inconsistent,” “unpredictable” and “chaotic” used to describe the Pakistan men’s cricket team’s performance over the years?
There are a myriad of answers, but the explanation is usually followed by the qualification that the team in that state is the most dangerous.
The mood is different and much gloomier following the team’s failure to qualify for the Super Eight stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Inconsistency, unpredictability and chaos did not mean they were a dangerous opponent, nor should they be, because a consistent, hard-working and cohesive team is far more likely to perform at their best.
In my opinion, it is time that Pakistan cricketers move away from the myths about what it takes to make the team tick, and instead realise that the raw talent that once helped them produce magical moments is not being properly utilised and that teams from other countries are adopting a more adventurous style of cricket.
The big question is: how can Pakistan achieve such transformation? The current situation is nothing new. Problems with chairpersons and selection have been rife for many years, leading to accusations of nepotism and favoritism. But I believe there is reason for hope.
The two new coaches, Gary Kirsten in white-ball cricket and Jason Gillespie in red-ball cricket, are in a position to make decisions that are likely to be unconditionally supported by those at the top, even if it is to save face for themselves.
I hope the coaching team will make the most of this opportunity and chart a course soon. It is no exaggeration to say that they will be taking on the toughest challenge of their careers. I coached Gillespie at Yorkshire and know his calm style, which will serve him well in this challenge. He prefers to play a supporting role while letting the players take the lead. From afar, Kirsten appears to have a similar style, as evidenced by her experience leading India to the 2011 World Cup victory under MS Dhoni’s captaincy.
If you’ve been following the Green Uniform players, you know all the problems with the team environment, so we have to address those first. It’s very unstable and very noisy.
Personally, I would not have chosen a two-coach system. Players need a simple and consistent message to go out and express themselves. But with two coaches, it is especially important that they work together and build the same reliable backroom structure across all formats. This will take time to put in place as the pressure to improve team and individual performance will increase rapidly. In my view, we need to refresh the environment and remove the unnecessary baggage that has built up over the past two years.
One of the most difficult and contentious issues is that of captaincy. As things stand, I would belittle the power and importance of the captaincy. This goes against my nature, but for the time being, the coach needs to be the nominal leader and take the lead. Of course, we would ideally need a captain across formats to cut down on the noise and get one simple message across. There is no need to act immediately, as Pakistan’s next white-ball match is not until early November in Australia, but there are two Test matches against Bangladesh in August. The current captain is Shan Masood.
Another point of contention is the selection process and Wahab Riaz’s role in it. The current seven-member selection committee was formed only on March 24th. It included Riaz, who had previously served as chairman, but that role was removed and Riaz remained as a member. Somewhat unrealistically, each member will have an equal number of votes and decisions will be made by majority vote. It is unclear how this will work in practice.
In my opinion, this experiment should be stopped and a reduced committee should be put in place with the coach having the final say. Riaz, who is said to be close to the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) chairman, served as senior team manager during the World Cup, even though there was a team manager and coach. There is a public opinion that Riaz has too much influence. It remains to be seen whether the review of Pakistan’s World Cup performance will recommend a reduction in the committee. The results are expected to be announced soon.
The first stage of team selection will be the Test matches in Bangladesh. Ahead of these matches, Gillespie will oversee training camps to prepare both the national and A-team. He has already said: “We can’t play with the same 11 players every day. We need to have a team mentality.”
Surprisingly, the talent pool is small and there appears to be a lack of ready replacements in some positions, so players with the required character and skills need to be identified and backed. One option is Mohammed Harris; he has a modern approach that should be incorporated into the team’s approach and pursued through to the next T20 World Cup. Irfan Khan Niazi is also a young dynamo who can develop into a good finisher, and investment in batsman Omar Yousuf could be profitable.
In the fast bowling department, Shaheen Shah Afridi needs the necessary support to get back to basics and improve his performance. In my view, he would be better off forgetting about captaincy and focusing on taking wickets and winning matches. Naseem Shah needs protection and support as he looks to be on the right path to be world class. I would expect Gillespie to provide that level of support to both players.
Leg-spinner Osama Mir would have been in my World Cup squad and Mehran Mumtaz has the ability to be the No.1 spinner in all formats. Shadab Khan needs time to get his bowling skills back. He has had a great run as a batsman for Islamabad but that seems to have warped his thought process in international cricket. He has been successful before and I am sure he will be successful this time too but he too needs to go back to basics.
The change in approach I proposed to both coaches may not come naturally to either of them, as they both prefer a strong captain who provides leadership while creating an environment where players can make their own decisions.
In the short term, it is my view that the coaching staff needs to take the lead, address the noise and protect the players from the inevitable attacks by former players, pundits and fans. Internally, the advice is to set clear expectations. In a volatile culture where players are thinking more about individual performance, the team must come first.
The two will need to calm their players with some tough love and hand-holding, in the hope that a period of calm and support will create a better environment for success.
