KARACHI, 7 March 2003 — Pakistan’s former captain and coach Javed Miandad has said the time has come for major changes in the Pakistan team after their poor performance in the World Cup.

“If players lack passion for the game and the hunger to go for a win, there is very little anyone can do,” he wrote in his column on Tuesday. “Pakistan’s performance has been disappointing in this World Cup. And let me say that even with a professional coach and the number of experienced stars in the side, if the team can’t get basic things right, then it is time for major changes in the set-up. Pakistan’s performance must rank as the most disappointing in their World Cup history. They have been beaten by Australia, England, and India this time around,” Miandad said. The 44-year-old Miandad, who has been coach of the Pakistan team on two separate occasions only to be forced out by the players, said it was unfortunate to note that in the crunch game against India it was again clear that there seemed to be no game plan, no thinking in the middle.

Once Tendulkar smashed 18 runs off the second over, I saw a few heads drop. No, this is not the Pakistan team I have known. At that stage, Pakistan sorely missed Rashid Latif, who was injured while batting. In the afternoon, it was Latif’s late charge that helped Pakistan go past the 250-run mark. When the bowlers were getting clattered around, he would have been one man who would have been capable of lifting the morale of the side with his enthusiastic presence.” The former skipper who appeared in six World Cups for Pakistan observed that while all the other teams have improved as the tournament progressed, Pakistan is one team that has not done so.

“Because it is the one big opportunity you get to prove yourself against the very best in the world. It is an opportunity that a player just can’t allow to pass by. I was privileged enough to participate in six World Cups in my career, and I know the fire, passion and pride with which we all competed in each one of them,” he added. Miandad had no doubt that Pakistan had lost to a better team at Centurion.

“It didn’t really matter who the opponent was, all the media-hype about playing India in a crucial game should not have had any influence on both the teams. Remember, these guys are professionals.” What baffled me most about the Pakistan side during the match and the rest of the World Cup is the fact that too many players seem to be in the side purely on the basis of reputation. The batting, for its part, looked mediocre for the best part against India. They huffed and puffed till they reached 200 against an Indian attack that was nowhere near the best in the World. “Saleem Elahi should not have been dropped from the side; he averages well above 50 in his last 10 appearances for Pakistan.

Having said that, I don’t have words to describe what Inzamam-ul Haq has been going through. By the looks of it, in his current form, Inzi won’t even score against a local club side. His terrible run out was the last thing Pakistan wanted.

“I do not intend to pick on individuals, but then, what was Shahid Afridi doing in the side? And that too at the cost of Saqlain Mushtaq! This meant that when Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag were smashing the bowling to all parts of the park, Waqar just didn’t have a bowler who could slow it down. Miandad however emphasized the fact that Tendulkar made full use of Pakistan’s obvious strength. “The faster Shoaib bowled at him, the more powerful his shots were.

Wouldn’t Pakistan have loved to have someone who could play with half the passion that Sachin played with at Centurion? If players lack passion for the game and the hunger to go for a win, there is very little anyone can do,” he stated.

Wasim May Not Play

in Sharjah Event

Wasim Akram will not make himself available for selection for the triangular one-day series in Sharjah as he is expected to announce his retirement from international cricket once the team returns home from the World Cup.

“I think the time has come for me to take a bow. I have virtually made up my mind now what to do. But I will make any final announcement after reaching home,” he said. Wasim, 36, reached the landmark of 500 One-Day International wickets in this World Cup against Holland and is also Pakistan’s most successful Test wicket-taker with 414 wickets. But he admitted on Tuesday that though he had enjoyed every match of the World Cup, he was very disappointed with the team’s overall performance.

“It has been a big disappointment for everyone. I thought we had the team to make the knockout stage but nothing went right for us from the start. I myself tried to do my best but I also feel I let down the people by not taking the wickets in that match against India,” he said. Wasim has been indicating since the last few months that he would retire after the World Cup but has held off any final announcement as yet. “But I think the time has come to announce a final decision. I want to go out with respect and grace. Which is why I have decided not to make myself available for the Sharjah tournament.”

Pakistan will appear in the three nation tournament from April 1 which will also feature South Africa and Sri Lanka. Wasim said he had got a lot of fame, love and respect during his 18 years in international cricket and he would like to continue to associate himself in some capacity with the sport. “I think to survive for 18 years at this level is not easy for anyone. I feel proud that I have managed to play for so many years and give good performances. But at my age I think it is time to think about other things,” he added.

Wasim said he would also take a final decision on whether to accept an offer from English county Hampshire to play this season once he returns home. Wasim has been offered a one year contract to play and captain Hampshire after they lost Australian leg spinner Shane Warne to a 12 months ban imposed on him for a drug offense. The former Pakistan captain said he had already turned down offers from some provincial sides in South Africa to play for them as he didn’t believe he could spare so much time now at his age. Asked about his appeal against the match-fixing sanctions imposed on him for the last few years pending with the Pakistan cricket board, Wasim said his legal advisor was taking care of things and he would also force the issue once he returns home. “Yes that is an important issue for me. I believe I have a very good chance of the PCB upholding the appeal/petition.”

Sohail Expresses

Disgust Over Display

Pakistan’s former captain and opener Aamer Sohail was in a angry mood expressing his disgust over the performance of the team in the World Cup. Aamer who is in South Africa as a television commentator said that Pakistan had failed to perform in the World Cup simply because the team management was bare of any proper ideas. “Some of their team selections have been mind-boggling. So hard to understand. In this World Cup Pakistan have not got their ideas right and it is so disappointing for so many people,” Sohail said.

He said it was a pity that with so much experience and talent Pakistan still didn’t perform upto expectations in the World Cup. Sohail who was a member of the Pakistan team which won the 1992 World Cup had no doubt that victory had come because the players were motivated and passionate about winning and under an inspiring leader. “Imran and Javed (Miandad) were inspirations for us and we did our best not to let them down.

Where is that inspiration in this team? Sohail was also clearly not happy with the decision to not play Shahid Afridi in Tuesday’s match when Pakistan needed to score very quick runs. “Throughout the World Cup they have made so many mistakes along the way,” he lamented.

Sohail said he was not in a position to say whether their should be changes in the team now following the World Cup disaster. “This is for the concerned people back home to decide what is right and what is wrong and where we have gone wrong and what we have to do to set things right for the future tournaments,” he added.