Maybe it's not the coaches but our players?

[Pakpak]

Every coach we have had, through to Waqar and now Mickey, say the same things in their interview; ''we need to develop our game and target 300+'' ''we need to play more aggressively like everyone else'' ''we need to rotate the strike''. Which means they must have hammered these points to our players too in training yet under both coaches we still see the tuktuk without any change whatsoever.

Maybe our players are simply incapable. There is not even an attempt to play aggressively. I don't understand why they're mental midgets, I understand if its a debutant showing nerves but experienced players, our so called ''seniors'' play like complete cowards. Forget LOIs, even teams like Bangladesh are now going at a much brisker rate in Test Matches of all formats where they're a minnow.

How hard is it to find a gap for a single atleast every 2 balls? Its come to a point where I am resigned before every LOI to a loss. And a win feels tremendous because it rarely happens against a proper side.

 

[Lynx]

We can't reach or make targets of 300 consistently with a one dimensional batting line up. When 5 of your top 6 consists of Azhar, Babar, Malik, Sarfraz and Rizwan/Shafiq/Hafeez, what can one really expect. As good as Babar is, and I'm a staunch fan of his, at the moment he just doesn't find the boundaries regularly enough. We have no dynamic player in the side except Sharjeel. You can make a case for Umar Akmal, and yes, he is the only player other than Sharjeel who is dynamic, I fear his confidence has been absolutely shattered and his ability ruined thanks to his inept handling by our team management during the last 5 years This batting lineup's ceiling is to touch the 300 mark. We cannot dream of setting targets upwards of 325, which I believe is a par score nowadays. 300 is absolutely nothing in today's day and age.

I won't even blame the players, but the selection committee which works without any foresight or vision by selecting dross like Hafeez/Asad/Rizwan/Azhar. All they worry about is not losing 'the next match' or the 'next series', which is why we don't see youngsters being given chances. Rather, they keep going back to those same tried and tested players which have been failing consistently. When you're building a team, losses with a young team have to be accepted without panicking. I'm not saying we have LOADS of gems sitting in our domestic circuit, waiting for their chance. But yes, there are a few who should definitely be embedded into the side and tried out. With the current composition of our team, I'm afraid we only have the capability of winning 1 match out of 5 against the top five teams.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

We need lower order hitters definitely.Our entire batting lineup is one dimensional.

 

[jeetu]

Coaches need to inform PCB which players are following their instructions or not. PCB is perceived to have lax attitude towards Senior players for a long time. That might be root cause of this issue.

 

[ExpressPacer]

We can't reach or make targets of 300 consistently with a one dimensional batting line up. When 5 of your top 6 consists of Azhar, Babar, Malik, Sarfraz and Rizwan/Shafiq/Hafeez, what can one really expect. As good as Babar is, and I'm a staunch fan of his, at the moment he just doesn't find the boundaries regularly enough. We have no dynamic player in the side except Sharjeel. You can make a case for Umar Akmal, and yes, he is the only player other than Sharjeel who is dynamic, I fear his confidence has been absolutely shattered and his ability ruined thanks to his inept handling by our team management during the last 5 years This batting lineup's ceiling is to touch the 300 mark. We cannot dream of setting targets upwards of 325, which I believe is a par score nowadays. 300 is absolutely nothing in today's day and age.

I won't even blame the players, but the selection committee which works without any foresight or vision by selecting dross like Hafeez/Asad/Rizwan/Azhar. All they worry about is not losing 'the next match' or the 'next series', which is why we don't see youngsters being given chances. Rather, they keep going back to those same tried and tested players which have been failing consistently. When you're building a team, losses with a young team have to be accepted without panicking. I'm not saying we have LOADS of gems sitting in our domestic circuit, waiting for their chance. But yes, there are a few who should definitely be embedded into the side and tried out. With the current composition of our team, I'm afraid we only have the capability of winning 1 match out of 5 against the top five teams.

Couldn't have said it better myself. This is Pakistan cricket in a nutshell. The top most priority for the management is to be able to win the next series or the next match. In fact, to not lose, like you said it. We are playing cricket not to win, rather with an approach to avoid defeat. And this is destroying Pakistan cricket, its creeping into the system and we're scared of introducing new talent.

 

[ExpressPacer]

The biggest problem in my opinion is that we are too scared of losing, if we start playing with a never say die attitude, we would be able to see a huge reform. Eventually, if not immediately. Now, its easier said than done. I'm not someone like Shoaib Akhtar who says the boys are not doing this or that. This is more the managements fault than the players themselves. What would you expect from Sami Aslam or Asad Shafiq? I think it's pretty easy after a couple of innings to make out that the player can only play in a specific manner. All players, except a few are one dimensional - which is why you have different players for different matches, different conditions and different formats. What we need in ODI's is to be able to have the courage to lose the next few series by introducing young talent. Sloggers, pinch hitters, hitters, anything ...or ANYONE that can play at a quicker pace. We have already established our players for the slow, surviving and testing conditions in Shafiq, Azhar, Shehzad, etc but now we need to invest in the long term and introduce sloggers or in other words, tullay-baaz players.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

It's not the coach or the players, but a failure by the cricket board to put long term changes in place which will lead to a dynamic and successful domestic cricket structure. That in itself will produce more professional cricket players over time.

At the moment the board is looking for quick fixes by changing captains and coaches. Making changes at the root level is probably easier said than done, but then that's the job of the national cricket board members. Otherwise why are they there?

 

[itsme]

It's not about the "head" coach

 

[Boi]

We need to start picking players with great potential like Saud Shakeel and Saad Ali. I don't care if they haven't played enough domestic cricket. Australia are backing the likes of Renshaw, Handscomb, Stanlake based on the potential those players have and we need to do the same. Our domestic conditions wont allow us to produce the hitters needed to succeed in LOIs these days so the selectors need to show pinpoint players with the potential to do that, select them and allow them to develop at the highest level. One hoped that the PSL would've allowed us to give consistent chances to talented, young players but again this season we'll be seeing the same old domestic names.

 

[sshakir411]

the players, administrators, fans, and every stakeholder of Pakistan cricket needs a change of mentality. It's a deeper issue, all our players (including the best of the best) lack self confidence and general awareness. This compromises their ability to learn quickly and apply themselves.

 

[Syed1]

Pakistani don't even know the first thing of batsmanship. Modern ODI cricket does not require that you go hell to leather every single delivery. Kohli is on another planet in terms of batting but one thing I love about him is that even if he is not finding a boundary his SR is in the 90-100 range because he is constantly on the look out for singles and doubles.

The 'leave' and 'forward defense' has no place in todays LOI cricket.

At the moment our players either get a boundary or a tuk, this is why we have played out the most number of dot balls in the last few years. I think Abdullah719 posted a stat regarding that.

Dots are the real killer. You can have one or max two guys in your side who play dots but if 5-6 of your bats are dot ball experts then you are going to have serious issues.

 

[Thivagar]

Coaches can only do so much, it is upto the players to do the rest. Stop blaming the coaches to make it seem like Pakistan is being done wrong.

 

[troodon]

You can't make a sports car when you don't have the tools and parts.

Pak team does not have the kind of batsmen that can score 300+ consistently. Coaches can only do so much if the players do not have the ability.

This being said, Pak are not a bad ODI team. They can win against anyone on a given day with a superlative performance with the ball. But the percentage of that happening is less.

Pak needs a world class middle order player (Babr has potential) and a couple of lower order sloggers who can score a quick fire 30 or 40 in 15-20 balls. This will make sure they reach 300 at least and be more competitive.

 

[Hasan123]

They type of batsmen that we should invest in LO are the ones who can play both sides of the wickets, are comfortable vs spin and pace, and can rotate the strike.

If they don't meet the above requirements, they shouldn't be in the team till they can. The above criteria is what Babar Azam and Harris Sohail meet that is why we are desperate for them to be in the side. We also need a couple of players who can clear the ropes. So we can afford to have a player like Sharjeel. He is working on his game also. Can't afford to have a batting line the current we have in modern day odi cricket . It just won't get the 300 plus scores required .

 

[Asim2Good]

Its not fault of our players.
Delay in start of our own T20 is reason, we are 5 years behind when compared to other teams.
Local teams are scoring n chasing 200+ scores but our national team is unable to do so.
Other batsmen have confidence now that they can easily clear boundry and chase any score while playing T20 mode cricket.
Also other players are ready to listen n learn from coaches but its not the same with our players.

 

[Lynx]

The biggest problem in my opinion is that we are too scared of losing, if we start playing with a never say die attitude, we would be able to see a huge reform. Eventually, if not immediately. Now, its easier said than done. I'm not someone like Shoaib Akhtar who says the boys are not doing this or that. This is more the managements fault than the players themselves. What would you expect from Sami Aslam or Asad Shafiq? I think it's pretty easy after a couple of innings to make out that the player can only play in a specific manner. All players, except a few are one dimensional - which is why you have different players for different matches, different conditions and different formats. What we need in ODI's is to be able to have the courage to lose the next few series by introducing young talent. Sloggers, pinch hitters, hitters, anything ...or ANYONE that can play at a quicker pace. We have already established our players for the slow, surviving and testing conditions in Shafiq, Azhar, Shehzad, etc but now we need to invest in the long term and introduce sloggers or in other words, tullay-baaz players.

Yep. Although I won't say we need to DEVELOP complete hacks/tullay baaz like Afridi. Rather, identifying those players who possess the ability to clear the boundaries. Imad, Yamin, Maqsood, Khalid Latif (a hack who we can use at number 6 if we can't find anyone else who's younger till the 2019 WC) are just a few off the top of my head who can. I really feel we need Sohaib Maqsood back in the side, as bad as his form was over the last few matches. We need to identify the players who can do the job, even if they might not be firing at the moment. Giving these players a longer rope can pay off in the future, as they have the requisite skill set and ability. But alas, 2 bad matches and everyone loses their mind. Including the fans, and this shows how this fickle mindset is part of a larger picture, and embedded deeply within our culture. Lack of education eventually shows up in every facet of life after all...

 

[ExpressPacer]

Yep. Although I won't say we need to DEVELOP complete hacks/tullay baaz like Afridi. Rather, identifying those players who possess the ability to clear the boundaries. Imad, Yamin, Maqsood, Khalid Latif (a hack who we can use at number 6 if we can't find anyone else who's younger till the 2019 WC) are just a few off the top of my head who can. I really feel we need Sohaib Maqsood back in the side, as bad as his form was over the last few matches. We need to identify the players who can do the job, even if they might not be firing at the moment. Giving these players a longer rope can pay off in the future, as they have the requisite skill set and ability. But alas, 2 bad matches and everyone loses their mind. Including the fans, and this shows how this fickle mindset is part of a larger picture, and embedded deeply within our culture. Lack of education eventually shows up in every facet of life after all...

Exactly. Actually, I would go as far as saying Maqsood is not only a slogger or a pinch hitter. His first two innings vs South Africa were enough to say that he was much more than that. And the fact that he offers strength to go with it is a bonus. He's educated too so we may be able to see a calmer mind in him. I don't care whatever form he is in, we just need to bring him into the team and give him confidence. Pakistani players take confidence like drugs.

 

[Pollack]

Exactly Pakistan players don't have capabilities in sync with modern cricket odi's.Only Babar looks promising though I know he is slow as well.. Bowling is nowhere near what Pakistan supporters think of them. Decent test side still.

 

[Mamoon]

Correct, but it's always better to have a professional coach (Arthur) rather than a fitness trainer (Waqar), because the former is more qualified to maximize the given resources, even if they aren't adequate.

We will be a better LOI team under Arthur and the signs are already there. Can't draw parallels between Arthur and Waqar in Tests because Arthur has one played one series in the UAE while Waqar never toured England and Australia.

 

[Lynx]

Exactly. Actually, I would go as far as saying Maqsood is not only a slogger or a pinch hitter. His first two innings vs South Africa were enough to say that he was much more than that. And the fact that he offers strength to go with it is a bonus. He's educated too so we may be able to see a calmer mind in him. I don't care whatever form he is in, we just need to bring him into the team and give him confidence. Pakistani players take confidence like drugs.

I absolutely concur. I've been saying it myself that he's not a slogger, rather a proper batsman who should be batting in the top 5 as well. But again, with the current composition of our team, where it seems like everybody wants to bat in the top order, the need of the hour is for him to bat at 6. And I really feel he can do the job there. The problem is when people expect your number 6 to score big consistently. They need to realize that's not going to happen. Most of the batsmen at this position are plagued by inconsistency and score 35/40, hence we need to take it. Unless 4 wickets fall inside 150 runs. Then you can expect your number 6 to bat for a longer period of time and score those 70/80 odd runs. He has the right skill set to become our finisher, as you mentioned, he's educated. Let's hope our daft management sees the light.

 

[Markhor]

Correct, but it's always better to have a professional coach (Arthur) rather than a fitness trainer (Waqar), because the former is more qualified to maximize the given resources, even if they aren't adequate.

We will be a better LOI team under Arthur and the signs are already there. Can't draw parallels between Arthur and Waqar in Tests because Arthur has one played one series in the UAE while Waqar never toured England and Australia.

Agreed, Arthur is a qualified and proven international coach who is better placed to get more out of this team than his predecessor who was rejected even as Australia's bowling coach.

 

[Sarfarazian92]

Biggest weakness of Pakistani Batsmen
Ball on good length or short of a good length anywhere from middle stump all the way to 6th stump. All our batsman defend a ball in this zone instead of trying to find singles from somewhere.

There's a reason why line and length bowlers and medium pacers like grant elliot are successful against Pakistan. All they do is pitch it in the zone I mentioned above and they know they won't go for more than 4 in an over.

 

[Bewal Express]

The moral of the story is that we have average players coached by people who don't make any difference. An ex county pro told me recently that coaching at the professional level is nothing like what the public perception.