Imran Khan scathing about performance in Australia...

[Rachael]

See http://usa.cricinfo.com/link_to_data...07JAN2005.html

Originally Posted by Imran Khan

To have expected them to work wonders in Australia was asking for the sky [...b]ut what I think is disappointing is the manner, the spineless manner, in which they have played, the lack of fighting qualities, no leadership, no plans. It's the mismatch that has been greatly disappointing. People expected a bit more of a fight.

Pretty unimpressed by Inzi in particular...

[Zainub]

Younis Khan as skipper? I don't doubt his fighting skills, but a rewind to a few moths back and this guy wasn't even in the team. and now we're talking about making him the captain, hmm...dangerous I would think. One of the most important requirments of captaincy one must think is the canditade must be first and foremost a settled player of the team, whose place in the side is as good as confirmed.

Can we be sure that Younis Khan will be in the side come 2007? Can we be sure Younis Khan will be able to earn as much respect from his team mates as does Youhanna or Inzi? Can we be sure he will do any better a job then either of these two? Can we really be sure of anything at this stage? I would think no. Any move would be a gamble. A risk. I understand Inzi is not the ideal skipper we wanna have with a side like ours, but I'm afraid the alternatives aren't very convincing either.

[Shaka]

Actually I don't disagree with Imran to be honest. I have felt since he was appointed that Inzimam isn't really captaincy material. He got the job by default, as we had no other candidates at the time. As you say, Younis Khan couldn't hold down a place until recently. That said, Younis has done well with the bat recently and he was the guy Richard Pybus (our former coach) thought was the best captaincy material.

I can understand why. he's energetic, enthusiastic, and according to Bob Woolmer a great team man. As he has just about cemented a first team place now, I think it would be a good move to make him captain. Youhanna is inventive but just doesn't have enough authority to do the job IMO.

[Maranello]

A few comments on this article. Firstly, I have not been supportive of ex-cricketers such as Miandad or Salim Malik when they have criticised the current lot, from their lofty perches atop their ivory towers. Because they did not ever suggest a meaningful solution with their critiques. However, I welcome Imran's comments. Inconsistent? Nah, I am not really going senile (hmm..if I did, would I know about it though? I don't think so, so everyone, please do let me know...).

Imran has earned the right to criticise the Pakistani team. He has achieved so much with Pakistan, has easily been the best captain in our history and one of the best leaders ever to take a cricketing field for any country or team. All that gives the man a right to air his grievances and share his thoughts. Secondly, Imran's opinions are not self-serving, there is no hiddden or obvious personal agenda or vendetta. His only cricketing agenda, is, and has been for the past 30 years, the success of Pakistan cricket. I deliberately choose not to have PCB's logo as my Avatar; Imran Khan, for all intents and purposes, is Pakistan cricket. He personifies everything that we have been, and everything we want to be. Needless to say, Imran is above the petty politicking, the self-aggrandising agendas and the self-serving bickering that characterises most of those involved with Pakistan cricket in an official or even unofficial capacity.

However, all that does not make him infallible, and so I am more than happy to be critical of his suggestions when warranted. Imran is not the greatest thinker in the history of the game, and hence his remedy does not necessarily appear to be fully thought-through in all cases.

In this case I feel he makes some valid points; Inzamam's tactical ineptitude and poor body language whilst fielding are well known. However, there is a dearth of sound alternativesn and Inzamam has remained captain by default.

Younis Khan is a great team man, probably the only truly self-less cricketer we have, agrees to do any role, fulfil any mission for the team with a smile and a brilliant attitude. Woolmer loves him, the captain values him and the dressing room adores him - the complete team man, someone whom Woolmer once hinted he wanted to keep in the squad even if he was not selected in the XI, just due to the feel-good factor he generates, the bonhomie and good cheer he spreads.
However, he is also a man of substance. Younis is probably the best runner between the wickets in our team, and is someone who can inject seriousness and purpose to a faltering batting effort by his attitude and hard work. Richard Pybus, the South African nonentity (in coaching terms) who coached Pakistan for a couple of years (was it really that long?) was very open on this issue after his sacking: Younis Khan is a FPC (Future Pakistan Captain), and in Pybus' view, the only one in the dressing room, with the possible exception of Taufeeq Umar, who had the steel and the tactical awareness to do this. Younis may not have been selected routinely in the past for his batting, due to the fact that he was not converting his 40s into 70s and his 70s into big hundreds. He is a fairly consistent scorer of 30s, 40s and 50s, but often throws his wicket away after that. Hence many feel he needs to become more consistent as a bat before being made skipper, otherwise we could end up with the scenario where the Pakistan Captain does not warrant his place in the XI as a player.

I have always believed that Youhana was a lousy alternative to Inzamam as skipper, and before this series, I was in a minority of 1. Most sensible oberservers felt Youhana had great tactical nous and a cricketing brain and so could do the job. It appears that he does not have either. In any case, my objections were due to his character - Youhana is the practical joker of the team, the one who plays all the tricks, someone who is so laid-back he makes Inzamam look ramrod straight! I don't feel he has it in him to be a motivational, 'backs to the wall', 'cornered tigers' type fighting leader - in his batting, and in life in general, Youhana likes the easy option, the one that offends or hurts the least amount of people and is conserves the most energy. He is all silky delicate touches, and in his case, the silk does not cover a steely resolve.

Hence, we are stuck with Inzamam unless we want to bite the bullet on Younis...do we really?

[Shaka]

Originally Posted by Zainub Razvi

Can we be sure that Younis Khan will be in the side come 2007? Can we be sure Younis Khan will be able to earn as much respect from his team mates as does Youhanna or Inzi? Can we be sure he will do any better a job then either of these two? Can we really be sure of anything at this stage? I would think no. Any move would be a gamble. A risk. I understand Inzi is not the ideal skipper we wanna have with a side like ours, but I'm afraid the alternatives aren't very convincing either.

Zainub, can we be sure that Inzi will be in the side come 2007? At the current age of 34 I think the answer would be a resounding no! I know there are already some questioning Inzi's role as a batsman right now due to age and fitness worries. It's a view I don't share, I think he still has a lot to offer as a batsman, especially in the next two series against India and the Windies. He's our best player of spin and best player of fast bowling respectively.

Younis has done enough to earn a place in the side for the short term at least. I would see Taufeeq as future captaincy material but right now he is also fighting to establish himself in the side (although he shouldn't be, he's a class act in my book) and he's still very young.

IMO this is the ideal time to replace Inzimam as captain. The next two tours are likely to see him return to form as a batsman and then all his leadership qualities, or lack of, will be glossed over.

[Seamer]

I don,t think Imrans comments are very helpful for Pakistans cause.He was a champion and expects everyone else to be as well. He should bear in mind that(1) Pakistan are currently in the rebuilding phase(2) Pakistan were up against a very, very good side in there home country. He should be focusing on the positives - they a young talented side - Butt and Kaniera in particular, and have massive potential in the future. If he does,nt have anything helpful to say - he should keep his mouth closed

[Shaka]

To be fair though, Imran isn't one for baseless criticism borne out of professional jealousy like Miandad. He hasn't criticised the coach or individuals, merely pointed out what many others have done regarding the leadership on the pitch.

[Zainub]

I agree, he is one of the few people who doesn't criticse just for the sake of it, and as Maranello said "His only cricketing agenda, is, and has been for the past 30 years, the success of Pakistan cricket". I usually tend to take his comments very seriously. I wouldn't even dare say the same for Miandad or Saleem Malik or XYZ. But in this case I do think Imran might not be right. I don't think a change in captaicny just for the sake of it will help. Inzi is unfortunately the best we have to offer, I think we can afford to delay a chance for at least a while. Just that I think that way. Nothing else. Interesting peive of new in the Dawn today, they reported that Inzi admitted feeling "depressed" by comments from Imran that went as far as calling his leadership "spineless", and he hoped to make his performances speak for him self in the up coming one-day series. Read full report here

[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!

[Rahul_Dravid_is_No.1]

how can u expect someone to take that much stick from people???? he is the captain and everyone wants to get rid of him! people are doing it so he will get depressed and then say ' oh what a captain, getting depressed' to further enhance their argument he should go