PakPassion presents an interview with former Sussex, England and current Lancashire head coach Peter Moores.
The PCB recently invited Moores to the National Cricket Academy in Lahore along with former captains Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Aamir Sohail, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Javed Miandad and Intikhab Alam to discuss ways to improve the structure and the functioning of domestic cricket and the role of the national and regional cricket academies in the country.
In this interview Moores provides us with his thoughts on the National Cricket Academy and explains his remit from the PCB.
PakPassion.net: Peter, thank you for your time today.
Peter Moores: No problem.
PakPassion.net: With respect to your recent visit to Lahore, were you invited directly by the Pakistan Cricket Board, or others involved in Pakistani cricket and what was the purpose of your visit?
Peter Moores: I was invited to Pakistan by the PCB. In cricket, you get to know a lot of people and make many friends from different nations. For example Mushtaq Ahmed is someone from Pakistan whom I know well.
The PCB asked me to look at their National Cricket Academy and to assess what they’re doing and how they’re getting on. They wanted an independent set of eyes to have a look at the National Cricket Academy and to provide some feedback on what they are doing and areas in which they can improve upon.
PakPassion.net: What are your thoughts on the National Cricket Academy in Lahore?
Peter Moores: It’s a fantastic facility, the real advantage being that they have great space there to further develop it. They have already developed it very well since it started and it’s a really impressive facility. The PCB have developed some good programmes over the years at the NCA and the challenge is always to maximise the facility and to get the best use out of it.
PakPassion.net: Did you get a chance to watch any first class cricket whilst in Pakistan?
Peter Moores: Very briefly. I saw a little bit of a match between PIA and one of the bank sides at the Gaddafi Stadium - I managed to watch about 30 minutes of the action. It was a flying visit so I didn’t have a lot of time to watch the cricket but it was good to see a little bit.
PakPassion.net: What precisely did the PCB ask you to focus your attention on? Was there a specific remit?
Peter Moores: I went out to Pakistan, looked around the Academy and spoke to different people involved in cricket in Pakistan. The thing that came across to me was that the passion and drive to improve cricket in Pakistan was clearly evident and important.
The fact that the PCB is prepared to engage outside help to present their views to them is a strong statement in itself. The development of cricket in Pakistan going forward is like most things, in that it involves everything including the development of young players, the structure of your first class game and how that first class setup combines with your National Academy and ultimately into the national set-up.
One thing I did realise whilst out there was that there's a lot of expertise and knowledge in Pakistan from high quality former international players who are still involved in the game and keen to help the PCB.
PakPassion.net: Any specific areas that you feel the PCB need to improve upon regarding it’s cricketing structure and the Academy?
Peter Moores: There will undoubtedly be areas that need improving because everyone’s set-up is different. At the moment I need to go away and consider my thoughts, then come back to the PCB and speak with them on areas that I have seen and what I think.
The job in this situation of someone like myself who has been brought in from the outside is to ask questions that make people look closely at certain areas within the current setup.
PakPassion.net: What’s the deadline for submitting the report to the Pakistan Cricket Board?
Peter Moores: There is no specific deadline. We aren’t really working on that basis. I’ve basically gone out to Pakistan, had a look at what's going on out there, come back [to England] and I need a bit of time to have a think about a few things. I will put my thoughts together in a certain way, speak with the PCB and we’ll take it from there.
PakPassion.net: Would you be interested in working for the Pakistan Cricket Board at some point in the future?
Peter Moores: I work for Lancashire County Cricket Club and I’m very happy here. I have a full time role, am extremely busy and we have lots to do here at Lancashire. I have made that clear to the Pakistan Cricket Board. I went to Pakistan with an independent role and to have a look for the PCB, firstly because I love cricket. Secondly, I’ve had experience domestically and internationally as a head coach and at academy level, when we went from transforming the National Academy into the National Performance Centre [in Loughborough, England]. So I have a good background to look at somebody else’s set-up and to give them some views. I will provide them with my thoughts. It’s then down to the people at the PCB to decide which is their way forward.
PakPassion.net: The security situation in Pakistan is obviously a major issue with Pakistan not being able to host international cricket at home. How did you find the security in Pakistan during your visit?
Peter Moores: I can only go by first hand experience. Out in Lahore it was fine, they looked after me very well.
Obviously the PCB is very keen to get international cricket back in Pakistan. That has got to go through a process and we’ve recently seen a British Army team play some cricket in Pakistan, a universities team and also an international eleven, so things have started to develop. The PCB know there is still a lot of work to do to make people feel safe when they go to Pakistan and the Board knows how important it is to get international cricket back in Pakistan.
The PCB recently invited Moores to the National Cricket Academy in Lahore along with former captains Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Aamir Sohail, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Javed Miandad and Intikhab Alam to discuss ways to improve the structure and the functioning of domestic cricket and the role of the national and regional cricket academies in the country.
In this interview Moores provides us with his thoughts on the National Cricket Academy and explains his remit from the PCB.
PakPassion.net: Peter, thank you for your time today.
Peter Moores: No problem.
PakPassion.net: With respect to your recent visit to Lahore, were you invited directly by the Pakistan Cricket Board, or others involved in Pakistani cricket and what was the purpose of your visit?
Peter Moores: I was invited to Pakistan by the PCB. In cricket, you get to know a lot of people and make many friends from different nations. For example Mushtaq Ahmed is someone from Pakistan whom I know well.
The PCB asked me to look at their National Cricket Academy and to assess what they’re doing and how they’re getting on. They wanted an independent set of eyes to have a look at the National Cricket Academy and to provide some feedback on what they are doing and areas in which they can improve upon.
PakPassion.net: What are your thoughts on the National Cricket Academy in Lahore?
Peter Moores: It’s a fantastic facility, the real advantage being that they have great space there to further develop it. They have already developed it very well since it started and it’s a really impressive facility. The PCB have developed some good programmes over the years at the NCA and the challenge is always to maximise the facility and to get the best use out of it.
PakPassion.net: Did you get a chance to watch any first class cricket whilst in Pakistan?
Peter Moores: Very briefly. I saw a little bit of a match between PIA and one of the bank sides at the Gaddafi Stadium - I managed to watch about 30 minutes of the action. It was a flying visit so I didn’t have a lot of time to watch the cricket but it was good to see a little bit.
PakPassion.net: What precisely did the PCB ask you to focus your attention on? Was there a specific remit?
Peter Moores: I went out to Pakistan, looked around the Academy and spoke to different people involved in cricket in Pakistan. The thing that came across to me was that the passion and drive to improve cricket in Pakistan was clearly evident and important.
The fact that the PCB is prepared to engage outside help to present their views to them is a strong statement in itself. The development of cricket in Pakistan going forward is like most things, in that it involves everything including the development of young players, the structure of your first class game and how that first class setup combines with your National Academy and ultimately into the national set-up.
One thing I did realise whilst out there was that there's a lot of expertise and knowledge in Pakistan from high quality former international players who are still involved in the game and keen to help the PCB.
PakPassion.net: Any specific areas that you feel the PCB need to improve upon regarding it’s cricketing structure and the Academy?
Peter Moores: There will undoubtedly be areas that need improving because everyone’s set-up is different. At the moment I need to go away and consider my thoughts, then come back to the PCB and speak with them on areas that I have seen and what I think.
The job in this situation of someone like myself who has been brought in from the outside is to ask questions that make people look closely at certain areas within the current setup.
PakPassion.net: What’s the deadline for submitting the report to the Pakistan Cricket Board?
Peter Moores: There is no specific deadline. We aren’t really working on that basis. I’ve basically gone out to Pakistan, had a look at what's going on out there, come back [to England] and I need a bit of time to have a think about a few things. I will put my thoughts together in a certain way, speak with the PCB and we’ll take it from there.
PakPassion.net: Would you be interested in working for the Pakistan Cricket Board at some point in the future?
Peter Moores: I work for Lancashire County Cricket Club and I’m very happy here. I have a full time role, am extremely busy and we have lots to do here at Lancashire. I have made that clear to the Pakistan Cricket Board. I went to Pakistan with an independent role and to have a look for the PCB, firstly because I love cricket. Secondly, I’ve had experience domestically and internationally as a head coach and at academy level, when we went from transforming the National Academy into the National Performance Centre [in Loughborough, England]. So I have a good background to look at somebody else’s set-up and to give them some views. I will provide them with my thoughts. It’s then down to the people at the PCB to decide which is their way forward.
PakPassion.net: The security situation in Pakistan is obviously a major issue with Pakistan not being able to host international cricket at home. How did you find the security in Pakistan during your visit?
Peter Moores: I can only go by first hand experience. Out in Lahore it was fine, they looked after me very well.
Obviously the PCB is very keen to get international cricket back in Pakistan. That has got to go through a process and we’ve recently seen a British Army team play some cricket in Pakistan, a universities team and also an international eleven, so things have started to develop. The PCB know there is still a lot of work to do to make people feel safe when they go to Pakistan and the Board knows how important it is to get international cricket back in Pakistan.
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