PCB keeps faith in Waqar for home Tests

Waqar Younis was Sunday retained Pakistan captain for the three-Test home series against Australia to be played at offshore venues of Colombo and Sharjah with the opener starting Oct 3.

The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, told Dawn from Rawalpindi that although he was concerned and worried with the sudden slump in the team's form, "the board still had faith in Waqar's abilities as captain".

The PCB Saturday left the cricketing fraternity mesmerised when it named eight probables, including former captain Moin Khan, but put Waqar's extension on hold.

The speedster was initially given a term till the back-to-back tournaments in Tangiers, Nairobi and Colombo. Waqar's men are under the hammer following defeats in six matches out of 10, including a no-result against Australia.

"We are retaining Waqar for the Australian series and would continue to monitor his performance as well as of his team. Naturally, his team will be now under a closer watch since he is expected to motivate the boys and try to put the team back on winning track," the PCB chairman said.

Pakistan lost the home series 1-0 to Australia in 1998-99 and then suffered a 3-0 whitewash when they made the return tour in 1999-2000.

Waqar's own performance as captain has been splendid and his success rate in the 10 Tests has been 80 per cent. But all might count for nothing if his team continues its decline.

"Moin has been recalled chiefly because we have been informed by the team management that Rashid Latif also wanted a break from international cricket," the General said.

Rashid, whose career has been dogged with injuries besides other reasons, has done excellently since his return last May.

Tauqir said Moin has been told to play in the two four-day `Tests' against Sri Lanka `A' starting Tuesday. He said that it was being done to help the wicket-keeper acquire the much needed match practice.

"Moin has not played any competitive cricket since the conclusion of the last season. It is, therefore, essential for him to play in those matches to get in his grooves," Tauqir said.

Tauqir said the team management also conveyed that besides Rashid, Wasim Akram, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Saeed Anwar had expressed their unavailability for the series against Australia.

As regards Wasim, Tauqir said the left-armer now wanted to concentrate on one-day cricket. The man with nearly 900 international wickets has already announced that he would retire after next year's World Cup in South Africa.

"Saeed wanted time to regroup himself and sort out his problems while Inzamam has a heel injury that might require more time to heal than expected," Tauqir said.

Tauqir, who sounded dejected and upset when asked to comment on the performance of the team, said he was perplexed and disappointed.

"It remains a mystery to me as to what transpired that reduced this team to whipping boys of international cricket. I mean, everything looked straightforward and spot-on until these three tournaments.

"I have talked to everyone associated with the team in one respect or the other and I have received different stories and versions. That's precisely why, I have asked Mudassar Nazar to come over so that I can know the facts from the horse's mouth," Tauqir said.

But the PCB chairman minced no words in blaming the coach and the physiotherapist trainer.

"Mudassar was billed as Master Strategist by a former captain of repute. But I am sorry to say that I found no team strategy or planning in the three tournaments. Now I want to know (from him) whether the players were not cooperating with him or if he has failed to enforce his authority.

"But there is no denying the fact that if the performance of the team is poor, then the coach is equally responsible," he explained.

Asked if there was a possibility of replacing Mudassar with a foreign coach, most likely Richard Pybus, Tauqir said diplomatically that if the coach had failed to chalk out a winning strategy and if the players were also not happy with him, then probably he will have to go.

"Mudassar is expected to meet me Tuesday if not Monday evening. I don't want to jump to guns and would instead prefer to wait for the coach and manager's reports before deciding what type of changes were the need of the hour.

"But I must admit here that as a patriotic Pakistani who like others want to see the team win, I am bitterly disappointed and upset. I just can't explain what I am going through," he said.

But Tauqir defended manager Yawar Saeed, saying: "I think the manager's role has been blown out of proportion. But I have my options open."

There were rumours here that along with Mudassar, the PCB had also called Waqar Younis. Abdul Razzaq, it was being said, was also accompanying him that now leaves several questions unanswered.

The PCB is facing a public outcry over the performance of the team with the followers of the game calling for heads to roll. This public pressure has left the PCB in a catch-22 situation. But so far the PCB appears to have played its cards well by retaining Waqar as captain. As regards changes in the team, the four players have made it easy for the PCB selectors to take decisions though one regrets the withdrawal, if true, of Rashid Latif.