ISLAMABAD: Former captain Javed Miandad believes that Pakistan needpractical trainers and not laptop coaches to meet the challenges ofinternational cricket.
“You may hire coaches at the district level. These coaches may use laptopsor other digital coaching methodologies for the strength and conditioningof our upcoming players. But at the highest level we need someone, who cantrain them on the ground and remove their weaknesses,” he told APP onWednesday.
Miandad did not speak against the usage of advance module of cricket, butwas of the view that ground realities should not be ignored. “The groundreality is that majority of our players have rural background. They comefrom villages and rural towns where they still don’t have access tocomputers or laptops. Their upbringing as professionals has not been donelike that. Now, if you will try to train them that way, they’ll not be ableto adapt to the change,” he added.
He said that players could not be produced at the highest level rather itwas at the junior level that they should be given proper coaching andgroomed to become future stars.
“True, the digital coaching has worked a lot in foreign countries. Butthere is a hell of difference between their systems and that of ours. Thatis 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 forthree times in the past said someone like Wasim Akram, who had played a lotof international cricket and done well during his playing days could bettertune-up players at the national level.
“Look the world is availing expertise of Wasim Akram and our other playersas they tell their players practically through demonstrations how to removefaults and improve performance. Their tips are doing wonders. So, if othernations are availing their expertise why can’t we ourselves benefit fromour former greats cricketers?” Miandad asked.
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He said that foreign coaches did not have real interest in players’performance. “They’ll at once jump to take the credit if players performwell under them. But if they (players) figure poorly in some internationalevent, they put the blame on players, saying they (players) are unwillingto learn and improve their skills.”
“You can hire services of a foreign professional coach if you don’t haveexperts in that field. But if you have more competent people at home forthat slot than it would not be fair to rope in a foreigner.”
He said if the Pakistan Cricket Board felt it was necessary to appointforeign coaches then it should appoint them at the district level becausethat was the best stage to start using ultramodern methodologies. “If youfeel their appointment is imperative then send them to the cricketacademies. Don’t make your own greats players to work under them at thehighest level,” he added.
Miandad also asked the board not to make any decision in haste to changePakistan 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 futureassignments it will not be a wise to change him.
“A junior player may be made vice-captain of the national side and groomedunder Sarfraz to take the responsibility of captaincy sometime later in thefuture.”
