Coach analysis: Many players unhappy with Waqar Younus

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Time to have a thorough analysis and post-mortem, one aspect of which should be analyzing coach himself.

Even though I always believe coach should have the final say and everybody has to trust him, but trust comes with accountability. And if a team doesnt perform well or have consistent failures, one most put the relevant authorities in spotlight.

Pakistani coach Waqar younus had the biggest criticism on not playing Sarfraz for four matches who when given a chance against SA performed exceptionally well.

Coming under fire: Players

Coming under fire: Players ‘unhappy’ with Waqar’s attitudeBy Nabeel Hashmi
Published: April 2, 2015

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http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/863300-Ledecopy-1427993371-314-640x480.JPG

[RIGHT]It is also being said that Waqar wanted Azhar Ali to be the one-day captain despite better choices available so that he can implement his own plans without interference. PHOTO: AFP[/RIGHT]
**KARACHI: **Several members of the Pakistan team have voiced their dissatisfaction with head coach Waqar Younis, citing the former fast-bowler’s biased attitude and selective treatment of players as the reason for their concerns.

Waqar was central to controversy in his previous tenure as coach in 2011 when he had conflicts with then skipper Shahid Afridi, while he also wanted to force out some senior players from the national side.
When Waqar was re-appointed as head coach last year, many thought he had learnt from his past mistakes. But fast-forward to April 2015, the same situation is recurring.

http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/A-team-member1.jpg

“Waqar is creating a bad atmosphere in the dressing room. His treatment isn’t the same with all the players and the Pakistan Cricket Board needs to take this issue up with him when returns home from Australia,” a senior member of the team told The Express Tribune.
“He is now showing exactly the same colours of 2011 by brushing off senior players in the side to stamp his authority. Initially, we all thought Waqar may have learnt from his past mistakes, but we’ve been proven wrong.”
The player added that the coach’s ego does not allow him to take criticism well.
The players’ list of woes
Waqar reportedly first forced out Muhammad Hafeez — despite the all-rounder claiming that he had the ability to return to fitness in time for the World Cup — then misused another senior player Younus Khan and kept him out of the side in the crucial quarter-final match against Australia.
If that was not enough, he refused to field Sarfraz Ahmed in the playing eleven for the first four matches of the World Cup and even stated that he did not know that Sarfraz was travelling with the team as third opener.
When Sarfraz was presented with the opportunity, he slammed his critics, especially Waqar, by claiming two man-of-the-match awards out of the three games he played in.
Additionally, reports suggested that Waqar singled out Ahmed Shehzad for criticism and failed to address the poor performances of players like Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Akmal and Nasir Jamshed.
“Waqar has set his eyes on building a team around his blue-eyed boys who hang on to his each and every word,” revealed another player. “Despite mistakes and poor performances, he praised Nasir, Sohaib, Umar and a few others.
“The prime reason Hafeez was sent back was that Waqar didn’t take kindly to questions over his early morning training practice.”
It is also being said that Waqar wanted Azhar Ali to be the one-day captain despite better choices available so that he can implement his own plans without interference.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 3[SUP]rd[/SUP], 2015.

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Re: Coach analysis: Many players unhappy with Waqar Younus

Coach can give lesson, teach, and opinion.
Captain is the man in field.
They both should work together, but captain can change game plan as game flow and the dynamics of captaincy roles are different.
Coach can not dictate the move of captain, a man in field has different view then man off the filed.

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Re: Coach analysis: Many players unhappy with Waqar Younus

But it has been mostly the player selection which caused problems, wrong player in wrong match/opponent. As it points out Umar Akmal, Sohaib and Nasir were persisted with, despite their failures. There was only one game in which both Umar and Sohaib performed i.e. WI otherwise their WC campaign was that of a deaf and dumb, pathetic averages of 27 and 25 for middle-order players who are supposed to be backbone of future Pakistani batting line up.

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Re: Coach analysis: Many players unhappy with Waqar Younus

One of the complaints is apparently that Waqar is being too strict with the players regarding their fitness. Unbelievable. I may not like Waqar as a strategist, but the emphasis on fitness is absolutely necessary.

Look at the teams around you and see how fit their players are. If there is one thing that I fully agree with regarding Waqar's coaching, it is focus on fitness.

It's going to take time and we are gonna go through a lot of injuries but in the end it will be worth it.

One thing that boggles my mind though...when Hafeez got injured and Waqar had a chance to get a player to replace Hafeez...he chose Nasir Jamshed...the most unfit player out of them all.

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Re: Coach analysis: Many players unhappy with Waqar Younus

^^^ Waqar loved fitness, that is why he loved Nasir Jamshed in team, and kept persisting that he plays in team as opener, probably for Waqar Younis, Nasir Jamshed had ideal fitness. :)

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Re: Coach analysis: Many players unhappy with Waqar Younus

^ I think the real reason why they backed Nasir Jamshed is because when in form, Nasir Jamshed is a good player against pace and bounce and likes to score big and plays long innings at a good strike rate. That's WHEN he is in form. If he was in form for the WC, the gamble would have paid off handsomely. Unfortunately for Nasir and Pakistan, he was horribly out of form and couldn't play a proper pull shot to save his life.

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Re: Coach analysis: Many players unhappy with Waqar Younus

^ A player whose ODI average (31.5), List A average (34) and SR around 75, what Waqar expected from him even if he was in form? ... Obviously, with ODI average 34 and SR 75, he could not have played long innings, right? ... He only made 3 centuries in 45 completed ODI innings he played, so is that long innings, once in 15 completed innings?

Anyhow, if Waqar was calling a player from past on hope that he would perform because Waqar remembers a inning or two of his good past performance than why not call Saeed Anwer as opener? Obviously at one time in past, Saeed Anwer was world best opener, so why Nasir Jamshed and not Saeed Anwer?

If Waqar could expect that Nasir Jamshed (out of ODIs for some time) could come to form from no where, than why not hope that Saeed Anwer (Ave 39.3 and SR 80.7) could also come to form?

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Re: Coach analysis: Many players unhappy with Waqar Younus

The criticism is all over the place. Waqar is being criticized for shoving aside Younis. Seriously? The man couldn't deliver. He is being criticized for NOT playing Sarfraz. Well. If Sarfraz had replaced Younis early on, there wouod he criticism for brushing aside Younis the senior.

If I am not mistaken Hafeez bowling action was under investigation (unless he got cleared before wc). So playing the flat track bully overseas didn't make much sense.

As.for over emphasis on fitness, come on. Must be a slacker who complained about this.

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Re: Coach analysis: Many players unhappy with Waqar Younus

Let me guess... the senior player talking to media is none other than... "Shahid Afridi"!

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Re: Coach analysis: Many players unhappy with Waqar Younus

Sarfraz do not play in place of Younis. Sarfraz place in team was as Wicket keeper who was reserved opener. Younis is middle order batsman.

There is only one wicket keeper in team, so Sarfraz place was secured as wicket Keeper, if not for Waqar Younis who played an inferior batsman to Sarfraz and part time wicket keeper Umar Akmal. As for him playing as an opener, that was extra choice that was only if he was needed, and that means, after Hafeez was gone, Sarfraz had two places in team, one as wicket keeper and other as opener.

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Re: Coach analysis: Many players unhappy with Waqar Younus

as always, you picked the right focus.

pathetic journalism. guys, dont read much into these articles. these idiots write based on their personal feelings and not on merit.

i mean, look how idiot this writer is. he is criticizing waqar for misusing younis and in the next line he is criticizing him for not playing younis in the semifinals....thx god, waqar did not play younis in semi finals.

and haeez...everyone on this forum was so happy when hafeez was shown door by waqar...why change of heart now? hafeez is useless if he cant bowl because he cant bat on Aussie pitches. he is a bowling all-rounder not a batting all-rounder.

yes sarfraz shd have played earlier but other than that there is nothing worthy in this article. waqar has huge contribution towards our fast bowlers. these bench of average bowlers were bowling so skillfully and waqar has a role in it. but why shd we appreciate anything good abt him because he did not play sarfraz

and what is wrong if waqar wanted to kick some seniors out in 2011...had we got rid of afridi then, we would have been in a better position in this world cup. he was such a liability throughout. waqar seems to be no nonsense type coach and such folks will never be tolerated in our culture.

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Re: Coach analysis: Many players unhappy with Waqar Younus

You have to provide product of strike rate and average.

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Re: Coach analysis: Many players unhappy with Waqar Younus

Anyone who's not fit should not be playing in the team...

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Re: Coach analysis: Many players unhappy with Waqar Younus

Sports journalism at its worst.

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Re: Coach analysis: Many players unhappy with Waqar Younus

This is a better piece. Razzaq has some valid points. Younus should be held accountable for the failures under him.
Waqar Younis has ‘Hidden Agenda’ Against Seniors: Abdul Razzaq Slams Pakistan Coach - Cricket News

Karachi: Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq says he was not surprised at the exclusion of several players since it was part of a plan by head coach Waqar Younis to oust seniors from the national team.
“Waqar Younis has some sort of hidden agenda against senior players and whenever he has been appointed coach he has shunted them out and tried to destroy their careers,” Razzaq said in an interview.
“When he first became coach in 2011, he targeted me and Muhammad Yousuf and the latter never played for Pakistan again even though he could have carried on for a few more years. Shoaib Akhtar also had to retire in his previous tenure,” Razzaq noted. (Pakistan Cricket Board Accepts Bangladesh Tour Conditions](http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/news/240202-pakistan-cricket-board-accepts-bangladesh-tour-conditions))
The seasoned all-rounder who has not played for Pakistan since the World T20 in 2012 said even in 2011 Waqar played an instrumental role in ousting Shahid Afridi from the team which led to him being stripped of the captaincy as well.
“Since then we have not progressed in limited overs cricket particularly ODIs and I blame Misbah-ul-Haq for this. People look at his performances to defend him but the truth is he has totally changed the mindset of our players to being fearful and slow and even the new players are affected by this new culture.” (Staying Away from Cricket was ‘Torture’, Says Relieved Saeed Ajmal](http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/news/240143-staying-away-from-cricket-was-torture-says-relieved-saeed-ajmal))
Razzaq said Waqar was now targeting more senior players and said instead of trying to manage talented batsmen like Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal properly he had recommended them to be dropped from the team.
“I am sorry to say this but Waqar was a great bowler but as a manager his management skills are very poor and this is because of his agenda against seniors and his refusal to change with times.”

Razzaq said despite the selectors continuously ignoring him he had no intentions to retire. (Mohammad Irfan Recommended Six-Week Rest](http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/news/240137-pakistan-s-mohammad-irfan-recommended-six-week-rest))
Razzaq, 35, remains one of Pakistan’s top all-rounders and in 265 ODIs he managed to score 5080 runs and also take 269 wickets.
“After what happened in the World Cup I think Pakistan needs to change its approach to one-day cricket and we need to produce more power hitters and genuine all-rounders. Unless we change the balance and mindsets of our one-day players Pakistan will continue to lag in the ODI rankings,” he said.
Razzaq also said that the ban on Pakistani players taking part in the Indian Premier League was also hurting their development as good limited overs cricket players.
“Players from other countries have taken advantage of the IPL but unfortunately Pakistani players are missing out for not fault of their own,” he noted.

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Re: Coach analysis: Many players unhappy with Waqar Younus

What the hell is wrong with these socalled “Senior” players … either stay fit, perform on a consistent basis or make for some new guy who can prove his worth … failure to come to terms that only yardstick and way forward is Merit and not parchi or past heriocs … It’s like a wide spread disease … AH may’ve introduced bori’s and what not but with his retiring and unretiring for “Qoumy mafadat kayliyay” …

:smack: @ Yousaf, Shoaib, Younis, Razzaq … only Afridi left to announce his comeback :frowning:

Good night Pakistan Cricket :frowning:

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Re: Coach analysis: Many players unhappy with Waqar Younus

Mr. Hashmi issued the following correction

" The senior players were unhappy with Waqar's pathetic kicking form".