New captain likely to benamed for one-dayers :DAWN

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Captains

LAHORE, Oct 23: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to retain Waqar Younis as captain for the Test matches, but the consensus for the one-day skipper is yet to emerge as three players Wasim Akram, Moin Khan and Shoaib Akhtar are in the running for the slot.

Well informed sources told Dawn that PCB is contemplating to form separate teams for both versions (Tests and one-dayers), and still considers Waqar to be the best choice for Test captain. However, the PCB is in a quandary to find a leader for the one-day edition of the game.

To assess form and fitness of some senior and junior players before selecting the Pakistan team for the twin tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa, PCB is organising a one-day match at the Gaddafi Stadium, Friday. Akram and Moin are playing in that match.

The tour is starting from Nov 1 and Pakistan are to play two Test and five one-day matches in each country. If Akram and Moin succeed in proving their fitness, they will vie for the captaincy of the one-dayer. Otherwise Shoaib will be another alternative for the PCB.

PCB is considering all options seriously to avoid any further debacle after 3-0 defeat by Australia in the Test series held at offshore Colombo and Sharjah this month.

But can the PCB appoint Wasim as captain? Will PCB set aside the recommendations of the one-man judicial commission headed by former justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum which probed into the match-fixing and gambling allegations levelled against some members of the Pakistan team from certain quarters.

Justice Qayyum had recommended that PCB avoid appointing Wasim as captain in future. But the PCB, sources say, is more concerned in building up strong teams to avoid disasters such as witnessed in the current series and in the three one-day tournaments.

Moin, who was sacked as captain in 2001 and replaced by Waqar, is also likely to make a comeback in the international arena.

Earlier, he was to be considered for the Test series against Australia.

For this, PCB included Moin in the Pakistan ‘A’ team to play inthe home series against Sri Lanka ‘A’ last month. But under his captaincy, the ‘A’ team lost the second unofficial Test at Multan. After that Moin left the team and did not lead it in the three-match one-day series.

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Shoaib???? Stop kiddin me...is it really so?

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Well I really want Wasim akram to captain the side, He has been our one of the most successful captain. Think about it, his individual performance will shoot up sky high! and he will bat more sensibly and you know what that means ;).

If Wasim is not the choice then I would try Shoaib akhtar , as funny it may sound, but the fact is he is the current match winner for us. Assigning him to lead the team will boost his performace and his"back niggle" or any other sorts of injury or nakhrays will be reduced. Look at Waqar , how come he is passing all the fitness tests at this age?. Shoaib will do the same and will try to be fit in all the games!
Right now we need Shoaib akhtar more than any other players!I won't be surpirsed to see his injuries disappeared once he become a skipper!

To be a captain one needs to aggressive,smart and top of it a very good player! Inzi , saeed both of em are fine players but these guys seem to be laid back and they don't have what is needed for a captain!

I see it in Waqar, Wasim, Shoaib, Moin adn who else Razzaq?? naah too young and masoom heh..Maybe Yousuf youhanna.not sure

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For me it has to be Moin and then Wasim. Shoaib a definite no. The guy cant complete a match without breaking down and I think is too immature to handle the captaincy.

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Thank God for that. That means Wasim or Moin will be captain for the world cup and there's a chance that we might be able to turn out a team with at least some unity.

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I agree 100% with Sherybaba, Shoaib will be a different man if he leads the side, he will be more aware of his fittness. I think he has what it takes to be the captain. I don't know if having different captains will work, I have doubts, it may work for Australia but they are much different unit, they have no grudges against each other. Though of the 3 I would like to see Moin comeback and lead the side.

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For once I don't want Wasim to become the captain (not that he isn't the right man) why not? Well am not in a mood to right a long reply, would give y reasoning later on :p

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fanta, i think i got your point as why wasim should not be made captain :wink:

Waqar might retain oneday captaincy because of couple of reasons. Wasim Akram hiself might not wish to captain the side and secondly Moin was horrible in his captaincy days, i mean at the end of his captaincy days…

And i read someone talking about that Making Moin will bring unity in the team?? Think again !

Wasim is the best choice , if Not then Waqar obviuos but i think Waqar will lead the side :k:

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Saby will you please elaborate on the horrible captaincy of Moin as compared to Waqar's and when compairing please dont forget to mention out of total victories under Waqar how many were against Bangladesh.

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Pick Wasim for Captain and Moin for Vice Captain. :)

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Waqar was doing a reasonable job as captain until recently. I don't think he was the most shrewd type, but he is committed. I just feel that he has a blind spot as far as his own bowling is concerned (if he's bowling badly he doesn't take himself off in time) and my impression is that there is now a split in the camp. No captain should allow this to happen and responsibility lies squarely with him if it does.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ehsan: *
Saby will you please elaborate on the horrible captaincy of Moin as compared to Waqar's and when compairing please dont forget to mention out of total victories under Waqar how many were against Bangladesh.
[/QUOTE]

sure Ehsan bhai!

Waqar has so far won 29/ 44 oneday int'l macthes out of which only 3 were against Bangladesh.... Last four tournaments Waqar has lost 6 out of 14!!

Moin captaincy since Sri lankan tournament in august 2001 rill march 2002 till newzealand tour (invloving 4 tournaments) .. lost 9 out of 14!!! (quite a number, isnt it?)

** Moin Khan**

Matches P Home Away Neut W L T NR Percent

v Bangladesh 2 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 100.00%
v England 3 3 0 0 2 1 0 0 66.67%
v India 4 0 0 4 3 1 0 0 75.00%
v New Zealand 6 0 5 1 2 4 0 0 33.33%
v South Africa 5 0 0 5 2 3 0 0 40.00%
v Sri Lanka 5 0 2 3 3 2 0 0 60.00%
v West Indies 7 0 5 2 4 3 0 0 57.14%
v Zimbabwe 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 100.00%

*Total 34 3 13 18 20 14 0 0 58.82% *

** Waqar Younis **

Matches P Home Away Neut W L T NR Percent

v Australia 9 0 3 6 3 5 0 1 37.50%
v Bangladesh 3 0 3 0 3 0 0 0 100.00%
v England 3 0 3 0 3 0 0 0 100.00%
v Kenya 2 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 100.00%
v Netherland 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 100.00%
v New Zealand 8 3 0 5 8 0 0 0 100.00%
v South Africa 4 0 0 4 1 3 0 0 25.00%
v Sri Lanka 12 0 1 11 6 6 0 0 50.00%
v West Indies 4 0 0 4 2 2 0 0 50.00%
v Zimbabwe 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 100.00%

Total 48 3 12 33 31 16 0 1 65.96%

And okay One can argue that matches against Bangladesh, Kenya and HHolland are lesser so Exclude Moin's 4 and Waqar's 6 out of the list/. Still Waqar has a better record...

I m not against Moin as a player or a captain but Waqar deserves to regroup with senior Players back in the team with the new coach!
Lets see how they fare in Zim, then you can change captain for sure!
I m sure pleyrs will perform coz if Miandad and Imran can forget their Major differences for the sake of worldcup, why cant these playes?? coz their differences are for sure minor...

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Two things, firstly I was thinking of test matches and should have made that clear and secondly the record is quite close even looking at the ODI records you have listed.

Looking at these figures taking minor countries out Moin won 18 lost 14, while Waqar won 25 and lost 16.

So based on these figures if Moin's captaicny was horrible as you have stated and he was sacked then why should Waqar whose recent performance as a captain is the worst of any Pakistani captain in history including two new records of lowest totals be allowed to regroup?

I only raised the point because you described Moin's captaincy horrible but totaly ignored Waqar's inept and pathetic handling of the team in recent matches be they ODI or tests.

One other point you have mentioned that in the last 14 matches Waqar lost 6. Lets look at it another way, Waqar won 8, which includes 2 against Kenya and one against Holland and also in that 14 one is a tie which was the final against Australia in Kenya, which in all honesty Probably Pakistan would have lost. The record doesn't look that good now, does it?

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I think the problem with Pakistan cricket starts at the beginning, i.e. lack of good domestic cricket infrastructure. Not that its not there, its just that some of our most valuable players just don't play there a lot.

If there was a vibrant domestic structure, all these good players, Shoaib, Younis, Razzak etc should be skippers of their domestic teams and we will be in a better position to judge how good or bad their captaincy skills are. Domestic cricket also harnesses their skills in this aspect of the game.

Right now, people give out names of potential captains and everyone is clueless as to the captaincy records of these players. I mean, has anyone ever seen Shoaib captaining a first-class side? And here, he wants to jump straight onto the slot of national team skipper! Or Razzak? Or Younis? How good are they?

Being a captain of cricket team is far different from soccer or hockey. Over there, its just a matter of having an extra ribbon on your arm. In cricket, the captain has to marshall all his players and keep making strategies as the game progresses.

I believe, our board goes about this job in a most haphazard manner. We appoint captains, not because the guy has good leadership skills or a sharp cricketing mind, but either because (1) there is no one else suitable in the team or (2) he is merely the senior-most player in the team or (3) he is the least controversial choice for the slot.

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Well said Faisal... as always...

If I might add... there is tendency in Pak and also in India to make your best player or the most popular player the captain with no regards to his temparament, leadership skills and overall personality traits.
So you have people like Shoaib Akhtar being considered for captain just like Tendulkar was for India.
I would rather have someone like Yousuf Youhana being groomed for captain rather than someone like Wasim or Shoiab who carry the extra burden of charisma with them to the field.

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The Game Responds:

      *Trust me; it will be Wasim. And that is a very good thing. I can just roll my eyes like a little girl on the consideration of Shoaib Akhtar as captain. In the younger players, I see Yousuf Youhana better equipped to lead the side than Shoaib. Even Saqlain would be a better candidate than him. I have no problem with Shoaib's place in the side; it's only that I don't see leadership potential in him yet. People, That Is All.*
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Shoaib considered for Captain?? Now thats a big joke! ...This guy can't finish a series without a damn injury and the PCB is considerigf him for the captency. Shoaib will be good somedays and horrible the next few days, you know what your gonna get from him. Wasim would be a good choice, and Moin should be named vice-captain, but not captain.

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Ehsan bhai i m not ignoring Waqar’s recent performance! I know its way off-mark but making moin captain might not help much too! If he has to be replaced at all, it must be Wasim!

Secondly, During Waqar’s tenure uptill series in Austraila, Pakistan team was Atleast consistent on its winning ways, and its the inconsistent tag which was partially erased in those days ..(see they are still consistently losing… :hehe:

I think Waqar is a captain who keeps doing a thing for long, win or lose. So lets hope they start winning soon and then keep themselves on a roll!

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Actually, I'm glad some1 mentioned Youhanna here, because if there's one candidate who might have the credentials it's him. Thoughtful, steady, a team player, doesn't get flustered. I'd love to see that guy given a shot at it some time in the future.

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Personally, I would like to keep waqar Captain. The current losses have much to do with the performance of entire team than his Captaincy. If youhana is made Captain then it means Waqar looses his place (Considering the feud between these two) in the team, With Wasim palying only ODIs and Shoaib getting injured every other match - I think Pak bowling will be very weak.

Best bet for pakistan right now is to keep Waqar as captain. If youhana becomes captain and Moin is recalled - There would be 5 former captains playing in the same team (Waqar,Wasim,Moin,Saeed,Rashid) and 4 more Inzamam/Razzaq/Shoaib/Saqi eyeing the captaincy. I dont think above situation is very good sign for Youhana and his chances of winning the world cup.