ISLAMABAD - Former Pakistan cricket team chief selector and head coach Mohsin Hasan Khan termed green caps poor team selection, pathetic batting order and lack of game plan behind their bashing against England in the four-match ODI series.
Talking to The Nation, Mohsin said: “I have already predicted that if Pakistan team lost the series, no one but the PCB and management should be held responsible for that. In my opinion, there were three major factors behind Pakistan teams 3-1 loss in the ODIs. Firstly, team combination, secondly, reshuffling in batting order and thirdly, there was absolutely no game plan witnessed in neither bowling nor batting.”
He said a coach should have come up with different game plans. “In case, Pakistan lose wicket early, there should be a proper planning, who should go to streamline things. I must partly blame Azhar Ali for his weak captaincy, but again, he is young captain and there is still early days as far as his captaincy is concerned. He has a bright future ahead and I am sure he will be a great hit in coming days. I am sure, he doesn't get the required support from the players but I am surprised the way debuts were given to players. What were the selectors trying to prove, why fresh players were inducted thick and fast and why they were so early exposed against England.”
“When I witnessed Immad Wasim, Haris Sohail, Sohaib Maqsood and M Rizwan, I had predicted they were quality stuff and were bound to excel at the top because they are very talented. But no other player was even close to their class, so why debuts were given to them in such a haste. Babar Azam is talented and could prove to be an asset in future. When he was batting so well in the middle order, why he was promoted to open the innings, which badly shattered his confidence and he failed to justify his potential, why such a decision was made, when Hafeez and Azhar could have easily opened the innings, why Azhar did not take bold stance and insisted on sending Babar Azam in the middle order,” Mohsin questioned.
“I am dead sure, no one else but the team management must be held responsible for the debacle. Pakistan team can't afford the series defeat, which was within their grasp, especially keeping in mind English team was quite weak in the absence of strike bowlers and Pakistan had great chances of winning the ODI series 4-0 and inflicted whitewash on English team, but poor planning, worst decisions cost them dearly,” he asserted.
He said: “It really hurts watching Pakistan team losing so easily. A team which had caliber and class, but now the poor mismanagement of PCB has been destroying its beauty. Now a days, cricket is so advanced that all the top coaches not only enter Test and ODIs with proper game plans, but also pay special attention to T20 format.”
“As I had said earlier before the start of the ODI series, Pakistan held the edge, same is the case in T20s. I don't see any reason why green caps not inflict 3-0 whitewash on England, but once again they have to enter with right combination, batting order as conditions best suited to them. They must enter with positive frame of mind and winning mentality which can only help then win the series,” Mohsin concluded.