Islamabad
Former captain Javed Miandad believes that Pakistan need practical trainers and not laptop coaches to meet the challenges of international cricket.
“You may hire coaches at the district level. These coaches may use laptops or other digital coaching methodologies for the strength and conditioning of our upcoming players. But at the highest level we need someone, who can train them on the ground and remove their weaknesses,” he told APP on Wednesday.
Miandad did not speak against the usage of advance module of cricket, but was of the view that ground realities should not be ignored. “The ground reality is that majority of our players have rural background. They come from villages and rural towns where they still don’t have access to computers or laptops. Their upbringing as professionals has not been done like that. Now, if you will try to train them that way, they’ll not be able to adapt to the change,” he added.
He said that players could not be produced at the highest level rather it was at the junior level that they should be given proper coaching and groomed to become future stars.
“True, the digital coaching has worked a lot in foreign countries. But there is a hell of difference between their systems and that of ours. That is why I say we need trainers at the senior level and not the coaches.”
The former great cricketer, who also served as Pakistan team coach for three times in the past said someone like Wasim Akram, who had played a lot of international cricket and done well during his playing days could better tune-up players at the national level. “Look the world is availing expertise of Wasim Akram and our other players as they tell their players practically through demonstrations how to remove faults and improve performance. Their tips are doing wonders. So, if other nations are availing their expertise why can’t we ourselves benefit from our former greats cricketers?” Miandad asked.
He said that foreign coaches did not have real interest in players’ performance. “They’ll at once jump to take the credit if players perform well under them. But if they (players) figure poorly in some international event, they put the blame on players, saying they (players) are unwilling to learn and improve their skills.”
“You can hire services of a foreign professional coach if you don’t have experts in that field. But if you have more competent people at home for that slot than it would not be fair to rope in a foreigner.”
He said if the Pakistan Cricket Board felt it was necessary to appoint foreign coaches then it should appoint them at the district level because that was the best stage to start using ultramodern methodologies. “If you feel their appointment is imperative then send them to the cricket academies. Don’t make your own greats players to work under them at the highest level,” he added. Miandad also asked the board not to make any decision in haste to change Pakistan team’s captain. “I believe Sarfraz has learnt a lot as captain. Now when he is fully trained to lead the national side for important future assignments it will not be a wise to change him.
“A junior player may be made vice-captain of the national side and groomed under Sarfraz to take the responsibility of captaincy sometime later in the future.”—Agencies
