KARACHI: Javed Miandad has blamed foreign coaches employed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for bringing the national team on the brink of disaster.
He also lashed out at the PCB’s announcement that it would hold a two-day round table conference in Lahore in March with leading former captains and stalwarts to discuss and find solutions to Pakistan’s cricket problems.
“No one has contacted me for this conference as yet I read about it in the newspapers in which my name also appeared as one of the invited players. But it makes no sense to have this conference with local players when the board is employing foreign coaches on heavy salaries,” he said. “These foreign coaches and support staff have caused damage to Pakistan cricket and brought it to this stage. So what is the purpose of now consulting local players,” he said. Miandad, who also remained coach of the Pakistan team thrice in 1999, 2000 and 2003/04 after an illustrious career spanning 124 Tests and 233 one-day internationals felt the conference is being called just to fool the angry and upset fans and critics. “It is ironic that when the board itself feels foreign coaches are the best solution for Pakistan cricket than they want to call us to give suggestions.” Miandad is the third major player after Imran Khan and Rashid Latif to spurn the PCB invitation to attend the conference called by chairman Shaharyar Khan in Lahore on March 6 and 7. Miandad, who also worked as director cricket in the PCB in the past, said during his tenure he had given a comprehensive plan to the board on how to restructure Pakistan cricket but no one wanted to implement the suggestions. “There is too much of internal politics and nepotism in the board and that is why we don’t see proper plans being executed for betterment of Pakistan cricket,” he stated. The former great made it clear that if immediate steps were not taken for improving the structure than Pakistan cricket would slip further. “We will see more bad performances.” He said that the current state of Pakistan cricket was not surprising to him since they were no top former players in key positions in either the board or its affiliated regional and district associations.—PTI
