Wasim Akram, news anchor and one-time fast bowler, has revealed once again that he would like to one day coach the Pakistan team. But as he has done regularly since his retirement, he reiterated that the Pakistan Board would have to accept him on his own terms.
On a visit to the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, Akram told reporters that he had received a letter from the PCB about hiring coaches for the national team. The letter stated, however, that only candidates who had undergone coaching courses would be considered, something Akram insisted he was unwilling to do.
'I want to coach the Pakistan team but this is not the way. I have a lifetime experience and don’t expect me to wait outside the PCB office holding a letter in my hands seeking a coaching job. With my experience I don’t think I require any level of courses.
“My qualification is that I’ve played more than a hundred Test matches and 350 ODIs all those years. I think I’ve learnt what they are teaching in the courses.”
The concept of hiring the services of players such as Akram is not a new one; in the recent past, there have been regular statements from the board and ex-players such as Akram on coaching Pakistan but little has ever come of it. The idea of using Akram and Waqar Younis as bowling coaches for the academies has been floated publicly, most recently when Younis was pursued as a bowling coach for the tour to India earlier this year. But then, as is the case generally, nothing materialised.
And as if to render any thought of his becoming a coach completely irrelevant, Akram also pointed out that he would have to take into account his media commitments before agreeing to taking on any such project.
Akram also spoke briefly of Shoaib Akhtar, advising him to curtail his run-up to avoid injuries. He was, however, quite impressed with Akhtar’s fitness during the training camp. “I have spent some time with Shoaib in the nets and found him fit and keen to perform.”
He has great potential to be a coach but I don't know if it would be a good idea at the moment. We all want Wasim or Waqar to coach the team or atleast bowlers but we have to look at the players in the team i.e. Inzamam, Yousuf, Younis, Shoaib who have played with these two legends... There could be problems from any player(s) with the coach ie. ego (the usual one). Either we'll have to wait till all the players they played with are out of team or gamble it once Bob is gone.
He should be not be allowed to come near our natioanl side at this stage bcoz our team is in buiding stage and we dont need politics . Under 21 will not be bad option for coaching at this stage .
I think instead of keeping Akram as a coach, it will be a good idea if he could be hired as a bowling coach. And if that happens, Woolmer has to be there as a coach. I think Woolmer and Akram will really complement each other. It looks like Woolmer and Inzi already has a good chemistry going on. And it could be a lethal combination of these 3 if things can work out well. PCB really needs to think on these lines if they want a powerful squad for World Cup.
Akram and Waqar are assets for Pakistan. They should be used without thinking twice. Akram should be careful with his choice of words though..What's with "my" terms. He should be open to "negotiate" terms with PCB. Nobody in his right mind would send him to take courses.
He lacks professionalism but he is not the only one in Pakistan who doesn't know how to talk privately or publicly.Raja and Imran are the only guys who know how to address the press, PCB and players.
I am not sure if he can bring the kind of descipline Woolmer offers, however, he would be a great bowling coach.
We can definitely give that a try but not sure how ego problems will be overcome … Wasim vs Shoaib (as one example)… now now just don’t start Shoaib bashing or Shoaib defense, we have seen what one of them thinks of the other.
I also request not to start a bashing or defense thread here but I just want to say that besides 3 of them working together, keeping akram as a bowling coach will also help PCB in controlling shoaib. We know that he is not in the good books of woolmer and inzi and by keeping someone like akram will actually neutralise this situation. After all shoaib was most successful when he was playing with akram.
Wasim, there is a difference between a bowling legend and a national coach. You MUST go through the training courses and PASS them before being considered for the position. If you have such a big ego about being ‘very experienced and mr. know-it-all’ then we can probably do well without u.
Shoaib Akthar, Inzamam, Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq and many other players have played with Wasim Akram, some of them are VERY likely to have ego issues. Are you forgetting Shoaib's statements (just for example) while Wasim was in the team? Players might be "juniors" but ego is not always "junior".