ISLAMABAD - Asian Bradman Zaheer Abbas has expressed his utter disappointment over green caps dismal performance against Sri Lanka in both Test and One Day Internationals.
Zaheer while talking with The Nation Sunday said: “I am quite astonished that despite being fully aware of the national teams worst performance in the two-Test matches, team management didn't pay any heed in removing flaws of the batsmen as they didn't learn anything from the mistakes.”
Zaheer said not only him but all the other greats failed to understand one simple thing what were the reasons most successful batsmen in the Test series Sarfraz Ahmed was sent back and not considered for the ODIs. Sarfraz was the only batsman who stood solid and it was the big blunder by the team management and especially head coach Waqar Younis, he added.
He said all the players failed to justify their due role and batsmen who scored in one innings got relaxed and just gifted their wickets in the next matches and it looked as they don't bother about team and put individual performances and records ahead over country and team.
“I strongly recommend Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Sharyar Khan to immediately convene a meeting of former greats and head coach Waqar should also be present during the meeting. This should be done on the most priority basis as we can't afford to relax as there was not much time left in the World Cup and any further delays could cost team and country dearly,” Zaheer concluded.
Former Pakistan Test player and chief selector Mohsin Hassan Khan termed team's dismal performance against Sri Lanka as totally unacceptable. He said all the major cricket playing nations always focus on three areas; team combination, game plan and mental toughness and these things were nowhere during the entire series.
He said he had managed to achieve great results from the same group of players against that time number 1 Test team England, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh just because he adopted a very clear-cut game plan with skipper. “We had always fielded best possible playing XI keeping in mind strength of each and every individual for all three formats of the game, which paid great dividend and we managed to get more than desired results.”
“Honesty, sincerity and determination is required to take on the opponents. Team management failed to get best out of them and if we continued with same policies, worse results are very much on the cards. If this team management failed to lift players against Lankans, then God knows, how will they prepare them for Australia,” Mohsin concluded.