ISLAMABAD – Former pacer Shoaib Akhtar wants Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)to utilize the services of Mohammad Yousaf and Younis Khan as to competewith modern day cricket.
Shoaib, who is widely known as the Rawalpindi Express, said most of thesenior players from Pakistan or India, whom I have worked with did not knowwhat the requirement of modern cricket is. “Our players cannot learn if acoach who knows about modern cricket is not called in for the job,” he saidin his YouTube channel.
Shoaib, who delivered a world record top speed of 161.3 km/h in a poolmatch against England during the 2003 Cricket World Cup, said Yousaf,Muhammad Waseem, Saeed Anwar and Younis have played modern day cricket andtheir services must be used at the grassroots level, for the betterment ofcricket in the country. “If such steps are not taken, then we would end uptalking about same things in the next Cricket World Cup,” he said.
Shoaib, who made his Test debut in November 1997, said in Pakistan CricketBoard (PCB) the average age of hiring former cricketers for jobs is after60. “If PCB wants to bring in an A category coach for the team then mustspend US $ 40,000 to US $50,000 a month so that he can provide the value ofmoney,” he said.
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Shoaib, who had taken 178 wickets in 46 tests, said he had faith in PCBChairman Ehsan Mani and managing director Wasim Khan. “Both Mani and Wasimare smart people and would do good for the game,” he said. Shoaib, who hadtaken 247 wickets in 163 One Day Internationals, urged PCB to make afour-year plan for cricket shifting from series-to-series. “We must learnfrom England and New Zealand’s cricket and invest in players likewise,” hesaid.
