The Pakistani madness in the Mohali semi-final of the CWC has shell-shocked the nation. The reason was that everybody could see that the situation was under control and the target was very achievable. By snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, Captain Shahid Afridi and other team management members proved, how badly they lacked management abilities of a thinking mind and leadership qualities.
Management is by definition doing things right; Leadership is also the same. Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; Leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.
Now, if we analyse the management and leadership of Pakistani cricket team, during the semi final match of 30 March 2011, the following glaring examples, speak out for themselves.
1. Shahid Afridi kept on giving over after over to Umar Gul, even when he was the most expensive bowler of the team, without utilising the most economical bowler Abdul Razzaq.
2. Afridi, removed Wahab Riaz from bowling, precisely at the time, when he was about to run through the Indian batsmen.
3. At a time when Pakistani openers gave a very positive start to the innings & then got out, Abdul Razzaq, Afridi or Umar Akmal should have been sent in, to maintain pressure of runs in the 1st power play of ten overs, when only two fielders are out side the circle. But what happened was that Younis came in and later on Misbah. Both batted so lazily that it dragged the momentum of runs created by the openers, to such an abyss from where the innings never recovered.
4. It looks that the entire team and its management forgot to take the last batting power play, till the time the sand had slipped from the hand. This is an un-pardonable blunder. The best time to take the 3rd PP was when Afridi and Misbah were together at the crease.
5. Nobody advised the batsmen to keep on taking singles, rather than blocking exceptionally high percentage of balls for no run.
The nation is shaken not by the defeat but the way our team management snatched defeat from the jaws of the victory. Now the way forward for the PCB is for either its chairman, take the full responsibility and resign or take the following steps.
a) Dismiss M/S. Intikhab Alam, Waqar Younus and Aaquib Javed from their respective positions.
b) Sack Afridi from the captainship of the national team.
c) Younis, Misbah and Abdul Razzaq should never again be considered for ODI or T20 teams and Kamran Akmal should also be sacked from any version of the national team. He is not an ordinary player rather, a below ordinary level player.
d) Hafeez should be appointed the future captain of ODI & T20 Pakistan teams, with Wahab Riaz as his deputy.
e) Youngsters like Sarfraz Ahmad, Naveed, Shoaib Khan etc should be inducted in the ODI and T20 teams.
f) A full time fielding coach must be appointed for Pakistan team, without any further delay.
SYED NAYYAR UDDIN AHMAD
Lahore
