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- Aug 29, 2023
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Waqar Younis speaking during an interview on a local TV show:
“This is an important step in bringing cricket to smaller cities. People have been eager and waiting for good cricket. I believe this mix of international stars and young players will work well.”
“If we look at the past 30-40 years, our bowling attack was always seen as a force to be reckoned with. But recently, the standard has declined somewhat. And it's not just about bowling anymore. In our era, cricket was a bit different. There weren't as many innovative shots or high-scoring games as we see today. If we played today, we might have struggled more if these kinds of shots and scores existed.”
“The new rules and regulations, like power plays and 40-over games, have made it tougher for bowlers. Some of our bowlers don't fully understand how to adapt to these new rules. But we’re trying to guide them, not just for this tournament, but for the work that will happen behind the scenes afterward. It's the training camps that are crucial, where they’ll sharpen their skills. As I said, we need to modernize our cricket. All of this will happen in the background, and I believe it will make a difference.”
“Take hockey, for example. When it was played on grass, we produced many great players. But when the game changed, we struggled because we didn’t adapt. Hockey has become more scientific now, with people collecting data and analyzing what works and what doesn’t. This is happening all over the world. I think we’re lacking that approach in cricket too.”
“One of the biggest setbacks we’ve faced is the isolation of Pakistan cricket for 10-12 years. The stadiums in Pakistan are not up to international standards. We’ve fallen behind in that area too. We’re already seeing signs of decline in cricket, and it feels like it’s going the same way as hockey. If we don’t fix it now, it might be too late.”
“Pakistan is full of natural talent. If you look at places like Peshawar or Quetta, you’ll see a lot of fast bowlers coming from there. In the past, most fast bowlers came from Punjab, and more batters came from Karachi or Sindh. So, we are producing bowlers, but there’s been a drop in those raw, tearaway fast bowlers we used to see.”
“If we take care of the players, the players will take care of the game. It’s unfair to expect them to just go out and win if we don't support them properly. Everyone needs to think wisely—the cricket board, the media, us mentors—about how to move forward. Maybe in a year or 18 months, you’ll start seeing improvements.”
“We were lucky to have role models when we played. Now, cricket has a huge financial side, and many players are focused on making money. My advice to young players is: take care of the game, and the money will take care of itself. I feel like some players lack the confidence or belief that success will come with dedication. I hope they learn not only how to play but how to carry themselves. Once they stop worrying about everything else, they’ll start delivering results.”
“Change needs to come from the top first. Once there’s a clear direction for where we’re going, that understanding can trickle down. In the past, we didn’t play as much cricket, but the best players still emerged. Now, domestic cricket will have to be adjusted to accommodate this new tournament. When players rise through the ranks, results will follow, and there will be accountability. Fitness will improve, and with stability, everything will fall into place.”
“All young players should have the chance to play cricket, but first-class cricket needs to be tough. I remember when I was 17-18 years old, playing first-class cricket felt like playing a Test match. It was hard. If we raise the standard of first-class cricket and make it something young players strive for, their fitness and skills will improve.”
“When we talk about cricket in Australia, England, or India, they also have a fast track for rising players. That option should be there for us too. But players still need to grind in domestic cricket. When you come up after working hard, the challenges at the top level don’t seem as daunting. It’s not that everything becomes easy, but you adjust more quickly.”
“We need to identify that our white-ball cricket should be separate from our red-ball cricket. Right now, it seems like Test cricket is suffering more. We’re not as bad as it might seem, but the mindset for Test cricket and white-ball cricket should be different. We should have specialized players for each format. And for those selected for Test cricket, we need to ensure they’re financially secure so they don’t feel left out. If we can strike that balance, both white-ball cricket and red-ball cricket can be taken care of.”
“This is an important step in bringing cricket to smaller cities. People have been eager and waiting for good cricket. I believe this mix of international stars and young players will work well.”
“If we look at the past 30-40 years, our bowling attack was always seen as a force to be reckoned with. But recently, the standard has declined somewhat. And it's not just about bowling anymore. In our era, cricket was a bit different. There weren't as many innovative shots or high-scoring games as we see today. If we played today, we might have struggled more if these kinds of shots and scores existed.”
“The new rules and regulations, like power plays and 40-over games, have made it tougher for bowlers. Some of our bowlers don't fully understand how to adapt to these new rules. But we’re trying to guide them, not just for this tournament, but for the work that will happen behind the scenes afterward. It's the training camps that are crucial, where they’ll sharpen their skills. As I said, we need to modernize our cricket. All of this will happen in the background, and I believe it will make a difference.”
“Take hockey, for example. When it was played on grass, we produced many great players. But when the game changed, we struggled because we didn’t adapt. Hockey has become more scientific now, with people collecting data and analyzing what works and what doesn’t. This is happening all over the world. I think we’re lacking that approach in cricket too.”
“One of the biggest setbacks we’ve faced is the isolation of Pakistan cricket for 10-12 years. The stadiums in Pakistan are not up to international standards. We’ve fallen behind in that area too. We’re already seeing signs of decline in cricket, and it feels like it’s going the same way as hockey. If we don’t fix it now, it might be too late.”
“Pakistan is full of natural talent. If you look at places like Peshawar or Quetta, you’ll see a lot of fast bowlers coming from there. In the past, most fast bowlers came from Punjab, and more batters came from Karachi or Sindh. So, we are producing bowlers, but there’s been a drop in those raw, tearaway fast bowlers we used to see.”
“If we take care of the players, the players will take care of the game. It’s unfair to expect them to just go out and win if we don't support them properly. Everyone needs to think wisely—the cricket board, the media, us mentors—about how to move forward. Maybe in a year or 18 months, you’ll start seeing improvements.”
“We were lucky to have role models when we played. Now, cricket has a huge financial side, and many players are focused on making money. My advice to young players is: take care of the game, and the money will take care of itself. I feel like some players lack the confidence or belief that success will come with dedication. I hope they learn not only how to play but how to carry themselves. Once they stop worrying about everything else, they’ll start delivering results.”
“Change needs to come from the top first. Once there’s a clear direction for where we’re going, that understanding can trickle down. In the past, we didn’t play as much cricket, but the best players still emerged. Now, domestic cricket will have to be adjusted to accommodate this new tournament. When players rise through the ranks, results will follow, and there will be accountability. Fitness will improve, and with stability, everything will fall into place.”
“All young players should have the chance to play cricket, but first-class cricket needs to be tough. I remember when I was 17-18 years old, playing first-class cricket felt like playing a Test match. It was hard. If we raise the standard of first-class cricket and make it something young players strive for, their fitness and skills will improve.”
“When we talk about cricket in Australia, England, or India, they also have a fast track for rising players. That option should be there for us too. But players still need to grind in domestic cricket. When you come up after working hard, the challenges at the top level don’t seem as daunting. It’s not that everything becomes easy, but you adjust more quickly.”
“We need to identify that our white-ball cricket should be separate from our red-ball cricket. Right now, it seems like Test cricket is suffering more. We’re not as bad as it might seem, but the mindset for Test cricket and white-ball cricket should be different. We should have specialized players for each format. And for those selected for Test cricket, we need to ensure they’re financially secure so they don’t feel left out. If we can strike that balance, both white-ball cricket and red-ball cricket can be taken care of.”
