Lahore Qalandars coach Aaqib Javed has blasted the national team that is getting schooled on the tour of New Zealand, claiming that he has never seen a worse version of Pakistan cricket team.
Javed made those remarks hours after the Mohammad Rizwan-led national team was outplayed on yet another day in New Zealand and face an uphill battle to save the second Test and the series.
“Neither have I seen a weaker batting and bowling unit since 1952, nor have I ever seen a team that does not have any stars,” the 1992 World Cup winner said during an appearance at Sports Journalists Association of Lahore’s Meet The Press programme.
“I have stopped watching this team’s matches. They make no impact.”
‘This happens when you go from Sarfaraz to Rizwan and Arthur to Misbah’
Javed questioned the credentials of Pakistan cricket team’s current coaching setup, claiming that Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis are not good enough even to coach school cricket let alone the highest level.
“There is a reason why this is happening,” the Qalandars coach said as he set himself up to explain the reason of the national team’s plight.
“Look back at the team we had two and a half year ago. That team’s captain was Sarfaraz Ahmed. Then the captaincy goes to Azhar Ali and then Babar Azam. And it is currently held by Mohammad Rizwan. How low do you want to go?
“Back then we had a world renowned coach in Mickey Arthur. From him you go to Misbah-ul-Haq, who had not coached for a day.
“The chief selector was a legend such as Inzamam-ul-Haq, who was a decision maker and outspoken. From there you first lower yourself to Misbah-ul-Haq and then Mohammad Wasim. I have no idea how lower do we have to go still.”
‘Waqar, Misbah won’t land a coaching job anywhere else in world’
Javed was most scathing of his former teammate Younis, whom he described as a full-time TV commentator who coaches on the side.
“This is Waqar Younis’s fifth tenure of the past 10 years in different jobs,” he said. “Sometimes he’s the head coach and other times he’s the bowling coach. If you think about it, why was he even appointed a coach the first time?
“Coaching is a profession and to become a coach you have to start coaching from lower levels at a young age. You also have to complete coaching courses from 1 to 4.
“In reality, Waqar Younis is a commentator. His main job is on TV and in between whenever he finds an opportunity he becomes a coach. Same is the case with Misbah.
“I want to see them find themselves a [coaching] job anywhere else in the world. They won’t even be hired in school cricket.”
