File photo of Javed Miandad© AFP
Pakistan great Javed Miandad believes Sarfaraz Ahmed was better suited to lead the Test team in Australia than newly appointed Shan Masood. “It is clear that Sarfaraz is a very experienced cricketer and has done well as captain for Pakistan before. If he had been made captain it would have been crucial for the team in Australia, which is a tough place to tour .” not only be included in the team against Australia, but because of his experience he should have been captain,” Miandad told the media in Karachi. Referring to the appointments of Wahab Riaz as chief selector, Muhammad Hafeez as team director and Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal as bowling coaches, Miandad said he had always felt that there should be an age difference between coaches and players in international cricket. Without an age difference, he feels there will not be any respect between players and coaches.
“I don’t see any logic behind bringing in players as selectors, coaches and directors who have played with most of the current players,” Miandad said.
The former Pakistan captain also complained that those who did not know the ABCs of modern cricket had removed Babar Azam as captain from all three formats.
“This will have a negative impact on the team in the coming days,” he added.
Miandad also put an end to the board’s habit of turning to foreign coaches.
“In the last twenty years we have had so many foreign coaches and where are we as a cricketing nation that we have not even been able to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup. The appointment of Mickey Arthur on his terms was an insult to anyone who can do better as coaches for Pakistan. “He noted that India had had remarkable success in all formats in recent times and all their last three coaches had been stalwarts including Anil Kumble, Ravi Shastri and now Rahul Dravid.
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