Imran Khan scathing about performance in Australia...

[Zainub]

Originally Posted by Shaka

This is what I mean. It's one thing for the average guy to admit to feeling depressed. But for the captain of the team to be doing it...what sort of message does that send out to the rest of his team? It's his job to be positive and get everyone else fired up, not get depressed! Pakistan have shown good signs during this series and if Shoaib Malik is passed fit to bowl, we have a very competent ODI side. Nothing to be depressed about Inzi!

To be fair to Inzi, I think he probably implied he was disapointed with so many people criticising him and the side. Although the use of the word depressing will you are right invariably send the wrong message out to those who read.

[vvvrulz]

Speaking of Imran's comments, I think he should just keep shut. Inzamam is a young captain and you can't expect him to fire on all cylinders during an Australian tour !

He hasn't done a bad job preceeding this tour, so its not fair to judge him so suddenly. He forgets that a guy like Stephen Fleming, who is one of the leading captains, had a terrible start to his captaincy career, and there were endless calls for him to be sacked. You have to give it time.

[Seamer]

Nothing annoys me more than past players - particularly champions - attacking thier national team when things are not going too well. Rather than publicly criticising Pakistan, he should be privately assisting the young guys coming through. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience and should be passing it on to the next generation. Is it possible that he resents a foriegner (Woolmer) coaching the team? Maybe he wants Woolmers job? I certainly would,nt want anyone but an Australian coaching the Aussie team.

[Maranello]

Seamer, I respect your views immensely, and appreciate the interest you show for Pakistan cricket. I have always believed that you write as a sincere well-wisher of Pakistan cricket; however, in this one instance, I disagree with your views.

I had anticipated earlier that some of us would categorise Imran's comments as the usual self-serving whingeing by ex-players, and hence my post here, answering those very concerns in detail.

In response to your specific points:

he should be privately assisting the young guys coming through

Imran is assisting the young guys coming through, is always offering advice and help whenever it is sought

Is it possible that he resents a foriegner (Woolmer) coaching the team?

There are some who resent a foreigner being the coach of Pakistan, as is the case with the tabloid presses in all countries. However, Imran is not one of them, and if he could, he would probably replace the whole administrative structure of the PCB with foreign management, as long as that was better for Pakistan cricket.

Imran was the prime mover behind neutral umpires in cricket in the 80s, and he even appointed English and other foreign umpires for Pakistan home series. He lobbied and worked to have neutral umpires for many years when the MCC and ICC were dead against the idea; had he been averse to foreign coaches or umpires, he would not have invited them to Pak!

He has always encouraged Pakistani players to play abroad, get coached by proper coaches in England or Australia, even helped arrange Waqar and Wasim's very first county contracts which helped make them the players they were. So no, he is not jealous of any one, and is not averse to foreign coaching - his only motivation is improving Pakistani players and teams.

In any case, it should be realised that Imran never criticised Woolmer or any of the individual players, only the approach to captaincy/leadership and the team's motivation.

Maybe he wants Woolmers job?

That could not be further from the truth. Imran does not have the time or the motivation to be involved in Pakistan cricket on a 24/7 basis. He moved on from that over a decade ago. At that time, in the early 90s, there was talk of making him the head of PCB or even Minister for Sport, both jobs immensely more powerful than a mere coach. However Imran was not interested anyway, since he really did have his heart on a higher calling, helping the poor and the needy, the ill and the downtrodden, which he has been doing admirably on a full-time basis for over 12 years now. I know I am speculating, but if he was not interested in being PCB Head or Coach etc 12 years ago, he surely would not want to go back and take on a coaching role, which, to my mind at least, is well below his abilities and stature.

I certainly would,nt want anyone but an Australian coaching the Aussie team.

Of course, but you are very fortunate in {i} the Australian first-class system being the best in the world, and of the highest standard; {ii} the Australian coaches and acamedies being top-class and hence producing a stream of quality cricketers regularly, and {iii} the Australian batsmen and bowlers being the best in the world for the past ten years.
Had these factors not been around, Australia might have appointed a foreign coach. In the past few years, eight of the Test nations have appointed foreign coaches, only exceptions being NZL and Aus. At the moment, SA too have a local coach, but of course their most famous coach and the best was an Englishman.

[Seamer]

Maranello
Your knowledge on this subject is greater than mine and you have made some excellent points. I will try to be less hasty to criticise in the future unless i have the full facts. I stand corrected.