×

Shoaib Akhtar: Pakistan’s chances of winning ICC World Cup 2015 are bleak

Shoaib spoke about the current state of Pakistani batting, his views on Misbah-ul-Haq's captaincy.

Related articles

Shoaib Akhtar © Getty Images
Shoaib Akhtar © Getty Images

By Saj Sadiq

Shoaib Akhtar, known to his fans and foes as the Rawalpindi Express, instilled fear in the hearts and minds of batsmen ever since that day in November 1997 when he first stepped on a cricket field in Pakistan colours. Over the ensuing years, many a batsmen found themselves on the receiving end of some of the most fearsome spells of bowling and many did not come out of their encounters unscathed. 

Though he no longer plays cricket, the Rawalpindi Express has left his fans from all over the world with a lifetime worth of memories, be it castling Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar in successive deliveries, running through South Africa’s batting lineup to give his team a rare away victory against the Proteas or, running amok on the legendary Australian batting lineup of the early 2000s in Colombo.

Nowadays, 39 year old Akhtar is a much sought after name in the media due to his outspoken and incisive analysis of issues related to cricket and in an exclusive interview with PakPassion.net, Shoaib spoke about the current state of Pakistani batting, his views on Misbah-ul-Haq’s captaincy, Pakistan’s inability to produce new talent and their chances at the 2015 World Cup in light of Saeed Ajmal’s potential absence due to suspension by the International Cricket Council (ICC)

Excerpts from an interview:

PakPassion.net (PP): We’ve witnessed a rather demoralising tour of Sri Lanka by Pakistan. Where do you feel it went wrong?

Shoaib Akhtar (SA): I’m afraid cricket is dying in Pakistan. It pains me to say this but we have players who have limited talent in the team and the results are there for all to see. The talent that is coming through is not of the quality that one would expect from Pakistan and is not of the quality that we have seen in previous generations.

PP: Misbah-ul-Haq has come in for a lot of criticism for his form and tactics in the one day series in Sri Lanka. Do you think that criticism was justified?

SA : Misbah’s tactics in one day cricket are mystifying really. His approach just puts pressure on the batsmen around him. His lack of singles means that when Pakistan is chasing they just dig themselves into a deep hole that just gets bigger and bigger. The lack of strike rotation is a worrying trend, it’s one of the basics of batting, something you are taught at a young age that if you can’t hit the ball for a four or six then at least look for a single instead of just blocking delivery after delivery.

When your captain isn’t leading from the front with the bat, then what do you expect from the others? The batting as a whole is a huge problem. The approach from the Pakistani batsmen is one that needs to be changed as it is either far too negative or on other days quite simply reckless.

The captain is responsible for the selection of the final eleven and I hold him responsible for Pakistan’s problems in one day cricket. The coaching staff are also to blame but the captain is the one who should be leading from the front and Misbah just isn’t doing that.

PP: It seems a distant memory when we had the likes of Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamam-ul-Haq calmly organising Pakistan run chases doesn’t it?

SA: When you have players who face 40 deliveries and score 10 runs, then what can we expect? The youngsters then panic around Misbah-ul-Haq and then you see wickets tumble. It’s very predictable what will happen when Pakistan is batting in limited overs cricket and to a certain extent in Test cricket. Yousuf and Inzamam had the knack of rotating the strike, they were able to handle the pressure but sadly most of our batsmen these days are unable to cope with any sort of pressure.

PP: Surely the bowlers were also below par in Sri Lanka?

SA: I don’t think there’s too much wrong with the Pakistan bowling attack and it would be unfair of me to criticise them too much for their efforts. We don’t have those genuine pace bowlers in the current line-up that will frighten the opposition batsmen and that is perhaps where we are lacking.

A captain likes to have a strike bowler who can bowl quickly and unsettle the opposition but I feel Pakistan lacks that at the moment. We don’t have those pace bowlers who can run through the opponents team as we have had in the past.

PP: A tough start therefore for Waqar Younis on his return as Head Coach?

SA: I’m wondering what the planning was in Sri Lanka? Exactly what was the game-plan, what was the thinking? Waqar needs to plan better than what he showed in Sri Lanka. Pakistan needs a coach who can think out of the box and use unusual methods to get the best out of Pakistani cricketers instead of using the same tried and tested methods other teams use.

PP: You’ve mentioned a lack of talent coming through the system. Why is that talent not coming through the system?

SA: We’ve been spoilt in Pakistan to a certain extent in that brilliant cricketers like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis came into the first class and international set-up by being spotted by others instead of them being nurtured.

The talent is there, it’s everywhere in the villages and towns and cities all over Pakistan. What isn’t being done is that the Pakistan Cricket Board is not doing enough to find that talent, to develop that talent and ultimately get those talented boys into the first class cricket system in Pakistan. I would urge the PCB coaches to get out of their offices and get out and about all over Pakistan and find that talent.

The PCB needs to organise more talent hunts and not just have them in the main cities. Organise camps and open net sessions for promising cricketers in the villages, you will see the talent come through. But then it’s not just about finding these talented youngsters, the Board needs to then get them into the Under 19 competitions and further develop these boys.

I see boys across Pakistan playing street cricket who can bowl as fast as, if not quicker than some of our international bowlers. Why are these boys being lost to the system? Why are these talented young cricketers not ending up in first class cricket? It’s a fault of our culture and system and as I said earlier it’s because we’ve been spoilt previously with extraordinary cricketers being spotted through luck rather than through hard work.

PP: How can this talent be groomed and introduced to the cricketing system in Pakistan?

SA: You need a visionary, someone who can use unusual methods, someone who can establish a system that can reach out to these young cricketers around Pakistan and get them attracted to wanting to be a cricketer. I keep hearing this InshAllah and MashAllah from various officials in the Board but nothing ever happens. God only helps those who want to help themselves. This won’t work if the people who run cricket in Pakistan just keep hoping instead of doing.

I’m afraid the people who want to bring the game forward in Pakistan and find the talent across Pakistan are no longer working at the PCB. We need people in important roles with a plan and the foresight to track down the best young cricketers across Pakistan as far too many of these boys are nowhere to be seen.

PP: What sort of shape do you feel the Pakistan one-day side is in?

SA: Not very good at all. Saeed Ajmal looks as if he won’t play but also the whole approach in one day cricket needs a re-think. The methods Pakistan is using are out-dated, the defensive approach will backfire in New Zealand and Australia and things could go horribly wrong if Pakistan isn’t careful.

We previously won a World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 1992 because the captain’s thinking was out of the box and the planning was clear to all. He was the inspiration and despite some of the players being new to international cricket and others not in the best of form Pakistan achieved glory. The current Pakistan team is going to have to play out of their skins to win the World Cup.

PP: Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad, talented or over-rated?

SA: What they are doing is not good enough. Their performances are not consistent and not acceptable. If I was the captain I would be expecting more from both of them. I keep hearing that they are youngsters, come on they’ve been playing international cricket for many years so don’t give me this youngsters nonsense! I don’t care how talented they are, if I was the captain and they weren’t performing I would kick them out and give them a wake-up call which is what they need.

I’m surprised that Umar Amin was dropped from the Pakistan side. He is a cricketer who the PCB should invest in and invest for the long run as one day he will be a great cricketer. The Board should invest in Umar Amin as he wants to do well and would be a good investment rather than investing in cricketers who have no ambition or hunger to succeed in international cricket.

PP: We’ve recently learnt of Saeed Ajmal’s suspension. You are someone who had to live with doubts over your bowling action during your career. What’s Ajmal going through at the moment?

SA: The slurs directed towards Saeed were terrible and not nice. I know what he’s going through, there will be a lot uncertainty in his mind at the moment despite him making positive statements about making a comeback. I feel sorry for Saeed, he won’t know which way to turn at the moment and this will be the toughest times of his life. He’s been an asset for Pakistan and a wonderful entertainer over the years wherever he’s played. I wish Saeed the best of luck , hope he can sort out his problems with his bowling action and I hope he returns, as cricket needs such great bowlers.

PP: How do you rate Pakistan’s chances at next year’s World Cup?

SA: With Saeed Ajmal looking unlikely to play, the onus falls on Mohammad Irfan to lead the attack. He’ll be the bowler that will have to lead the attack if Saeed doesn’t make it. The Pakistan batting will struggle, there is no doubt about it. It all depends on whether the bowlers can save face. There’s been too much chopping and changing in the batting order and there is an unsettled look about the top order. I don’t understand why the pack of batsmen keeps being shuffled, it doesn’t make any sense.

Let’s be honest, Pakistan’s chances are bleak and it would take a 1992 type effort to win the tournament particularly with a captain who is struggling for form and tactically lacking. There’s also a lack of cricketing sense from some of the batsmen, a lack of awareness of tactics and the approach is often questionable. Our batsmen don’t know how to build an innings, how to stay at the wicket whilst rotating the strike and keeping the scoreboard ticking over. Another problem seems to be that our batsmen get into a rut and find it difficult to increase the run rate when required, more often than not if they try to increase the pace they get out to a loose shot.

PP: There seems to be a constant lack of planning in Pakistan cricket when it comes to grooming the next captain. Why do you think that is?

SA: That’s because they always want to create this atmosphere of uncertainty so nobody is comfortable. The team culture does not allow for players to thrive, instead there is an atmosphere of constant confusion and jealousy. I worry about the future of Pakistan cricket. I said that when I retired and I’m saying it now, the future of Pakistan cricket is a major concern and I see a time when Pakistan could be one of the minnow teams particularly if Saeed Ajmal doesn’t return to international cricket. If we become a cricketing minnow and start losing to the likes of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, that will be the saddest day of my life.

PP: Why is it that Junaid Khan cannot replicate his domestic form in international cricket?

SA: At Lancashire he looked a different bowler because conditions in England suit his sort of bowling. However in the sub-continent he’s not the same bowler and not as effective because he lacks that extra yard of pace that batsmen don’t like. If a batsman can comfortably play you off the front foot then you are not doing your job as a pace bowler. He needs to crank up the pace a bit more. I’m sure Junaid has the ability to bowl quicker than he has been bowling. Maybe he’s bowling within himself, but I’d like to see him really turn up the speed and bowl quicker.

If the ball isn’t reverse-swinging then Junaid is in trouble due to his lack of pace. He’s relying too much on favourable conditions and really needs to bowl a yard quicker and that will make his yorker even more effective. As a pace bowler if you can’t knock the stumps over then the next best thing is to knock the batsman over. That should be Junaid’s mentality. I see him adopting a safety-first approach too often and I’d like to see him change that mind-set. If he does, he’ll be a better bowler for it.

PP: Can you provide an update on the launch of your own coaching career with State Bank of Pakistan?

SA: It’s in the pipeline but I’ve not made a final decision about it yet. I’m enjoying doing commentary at the moment and I’m going to carry on with this for a while and then have a think about coaching or whatever I want to do next.

When I feel the time is right to start coaching then I will try it out. I’m always available whenever cricketers from around the world need my advice and I enjoy seeing cricketers improve after some advice from me. I enjoy helping bowlers with technical advice or general advice.

(Saj Sadiq is Senior Editor at PakPassion.net, from where the above article has been reproduced. He can be followed on Twitter at @Saj_PakPassion)

trending this week