Zaheer Abbas still game to help Pakistan batsmen

Dubai: Pakistan’s batting legend Zaheer Abbas is not surprised at his country’s meek capitulation at the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy and called for an immediate overhaul of their cricketing structure to be able to keep pace with other countries.

“Unlike India where there is tremendous competition for each berth in their team, the senior players of Pakistan don’t have the urge to prove themselves. This has resulted in the game stagnating there,” Abbas said.

Misbah-ul-Haq and his men had been under fire, both from their fans as well former cricketers like Abbas, for one of their worst performances in a major ICC event in recent times after they lost all three group league matches and failed to make the semi-finals. The team’s collective batting failure had been a major cause of anguish for Abbas, famously called the ‘Bradman of Asia’ for his exploits.

“The problem with some of the established players in Pakistan is they know they will be making a comeback almost by rotation as no young talent is emerging. If no remedial action is taken, we cannot expect the team to work wonders in the ICC World Cup, which is scheduled in less than two years,” Abbas told Gulf News during a personal visit to Dubai.

A frequent visitor to the emirate, Abbas candidly admitted that he had applied for the batting coach’s position when PCB had advertised for the post last year. A technicality had come in the way as the run machine of the ‘70s and ‘80s did not have the Level-3 coaches’ certificate, while the board’s pursuit for the right man for the job still continues. They had appointed Inzmam-ul-Haq on a short- term basis before Pakistan’s tour of India late last year before discontinuing him, while the sign of desperation was evident in the appointment of the little known Trent Woodhill just for the duration of the Champions Trophy.

Asked if there was any need to look abroad for batting coaches in a country which has produced the likes of Hanif Mohammad, Zaheer Abbas or Javed Miandad, Abbas said he was still not averse to helping out the Pakistan batsmen if his services are sought. “The batsmen seem to be suffering from a lack of direction in recent times. They are often approaching Test cricket with the mindset of one-day cricket and vice versa and this is where the role of coaches come in,” he said.

Without taking names, Abbas said there was also an urgent need for a change at the top of cricket administration. “We need technocrats to run the game in Pakistan,” he observed.