ISLAMABAD  - It is high time with the appointment of young and highly dynamic Managing Director in Pakistan Cricket Board, local coaches who had produce wonders with respective regions and departments should be given due respect and some kind of important role with the national cricket teams.

As the MD Waseem Khan had time and again mentioned in his recent interactions with this scribe and also with the sports journalists of the country that his vision is to take Pakistan cricket forward and only those, who want to produce results and are determined to deliver goods for country are going to stay in PCB. Rather than words, it is time Waseem Khan must prove this with his actions as people like Micky Arthur, Grant Flower, Azhar Mehmood, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Haroon Rasheed, Shafiq Ahmed, Ali Zia and others, who are enjoying countless benefits from the PCB and had done nothing for decades, must be shown the doors.

Zakir Khan is also a proven failure at all fronts and in all the roles he had been assigned over the years. His only qualification is he enjoys highly close relations with his mentor and former skipper Imran Khan. But like PM Imran Khan had time and again mentioned, he believes only in merit and merit, so the PM must prove his words by taking stern action against all the flops including his blue-eyed Zakir Khan, who is a well-proven failure wherever he was assigned.

Arthur, Flower, Azhar had done nothing for the national team rather green caps performances had gone from bad to worse. Arthur has developed system of personal liking and disliking and had destroyed number of brilliant youngsters career already. Umar Akmal is prime example of his highly arrogant and completely unacceptable behavior. Arthur is well-known for using highly foul language and crossing all limits. That’s why he was thrown out by South Africa and then Australia as their national team’s head coach job. Pakistani batsmen technique is an open secret to all. What is the purpose of having a batting coach for years who was never known for his batting abilities and is destroying Pakistani batsmen. A country who has batting greats like Zaheer Abbas, Mohsin Khan, Javed Miandad, Inzamam, Younus Khan, Muhammad Yousaf, then why Pakistan Cricket Board close eyes and depend on flops. Why not local greats being considered for Pakistan team’s roles? They could not only resolve all the issues but also at much cheaper and affordable prices.

The PCB is reluctant to offer coaching roles to local proven stuff and relies heavily on foreign coaches which is not fair and absolutely wrong policy. The PSL is Pakistan’s very own brand. It is true, the PCB and franchises should hire few foreign big names but why not local coaches being involved in major roles. What is wrong in having top class local coaches as head coaches of different franchises? The reason is very simple. When the PCB is not ready to provide break and opportunities to local coaches then why franchises should hire them. The PCB needs to get out of coward and highly pathetic approach of depending on foreigner.

Why the PCB not understands simple fact that there is hug conflict of interest when a person who is hired by the PCB also manages to get role in franchises then he or she had his or her vested interests. If Mickey Arthur and Inzamam and others want to take franchises roles, then they must resign from the PCB. The PCB should make sure that persons, who are in contract with the PCB should not be allowed to work with franchises.

The PCB had few highly successful coaches like Abdul Rehman, who is a proven stuff and had helped KP, Peshawar and even Peshawar Zalmi win number of titles. He should be given his due right. Same is the case with highly experienced and highly successful not only domestically, but also internationally reputed and well-respected coach Sabih Azhar, who had won highly prestigious Quaid-e-Azam Trophy titles not only with Rawalpindi Region but also with Peshawar. Sabih had also helped Rawalpindi Region become National T20 champions. In 2018-19, Sabih had managed to win Pakistan Cup coaching KP. He helped Rawalpindi Region to play in the National T20 final in Multan where after a tough contest Rawalpindi lost in the final. His U-16 Rawalpindi team played the final of National U-16, U-13 Rawalpindi Region team played national U-13 final. He was declared number 1 in the PCB Annual Coach Evaluation in 2019 and had done Level-IV course with flying colours.

He has vast experience of working with Pakistan women cricket team in World Cup in England and other international assignments as well. It is high time PCB must acknowledge Sabih Azhar and others highly talented coaches. Ayaz Akbar Yousafzai, who in very short span of time had earned huge reputation, had unearthed number of talented youth who are representing Pakistan cricket team. He is also the head coach of Fata. He helped Balochistan to play the final of Pakistan Cup last time. But this year, rather than acknowledging Ayaz and appointing him in Pakistan Cup, he was not considered for any coaching assignment at all, which is sheer injustice to young and upcoming coaches like Ayaz.

It is hoped Waseem Khan will take action and provide justice without any further delays to local coaches, who are more than capable of delivering at the highest level.