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Pak a raw team, needs time: Miandad
Unabashed by criticism of his coaching techniques during Pakistan's resounding Test series loss to India, Javed Miandad says he can still turn his young team into champs.
Unabashed by criticism of his coaching techniques during Pakistan's resounding Test series loss to India, Javed Miandad said on Sunday he can still turn his youthful cricket team into world beaters.
"Ours is a raw team and it needs some time to get experienced," Pakistan coach Miandad told The Associated Press — two days after India recorded its first Test series victory in Pakistan.
Miandad was accused of putting extra pressure on his players when he constantly signaled from the dressing room balcony during a 3-2 one-day series loss.
He said that forced him to tone down his off-field gesturing during the three Test matches, lost 2-1, and feels that hurt Pakistan's young players.
"I am not a publicity seeker," Miandad said. "I didn't ask television people to focus on me while I was giving advice to my players. I don't even give interviews on television because I don't need publicity.
"Ask Taufeeq Umar, Imran Farhat and Yasir Hameed. They are new in international cricket and they need someone to guide them," he said.
"Umpires are strict nowadays. If I saw some fault in the technique of our batsmen I couldn't send messages in the ground after every over, I had to wait for the drinks break, or when the players used to come back into the dressing rooms during lunch and tea intervals."
Miandad's contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board in April 2005.
"It's not that I am worried what will happen tomorrow after the defeat against India," said Miandad.
"I believe that this team has the capability to compete against any team in world cricket, it just needs some time to get enough exposure to international cricket."
Miandad said it was harsh to criticize Pakistan's team for losing both the Tests and one-dayers against a more experienced Indian side.
"I admit bowling was our strength, but it let us down in both versions of the game," he said. "But then the top six Indian batsmen have proved on all types of wickets around the world that they are capable of scoring big hundreds."
Virender Sehwag became the first Indian to score a triple century in Test cricket when he made 309 in India's innings and 52-run victory in the first Test at Multan, while Sachin Tendulkar made his mark with an unbeaten 194 in the same Test.
Vice captain Rahul Dravid saved his best for the last Test with a masterful 270, when V V S Laxman, skipper Sourav Ganguly, wicketkeeper batsman Parthiv Patel and Yuvraj Singh were also among the runs.
"The Indians played better than us. Their young bowlers took inspiration from their batsmen and bowled to a steady line and length throughout the series, and were duly rewarded," Miandad said.
"But winning a Test match and fighting till the end in the one-day series is a creditable performance from our team," he added.
Injuries to Pakistan bowlers made the difference in the end, Miandad .
"When you get your key bowlers injured both before and during the Test matches, you are bound to struggle," he said.
Seamer Shabbir Ahmed got injured after the first Test while Umar Gul injured his back after his man-of-the-match-winning performance of 5-31 in the second Test which Pakistan won by nine wickets.
The final blow came in the last Test when speedster Shoaib Akhtar ruptured a back muscle. In his absence, India amassed 600 runs which put Pakistan batsmen under pressure in the second innings, leading to its biggest ever defeat against India in 50 Tests — by an innings and 131 runs.
"Our main enemy is the injuries to key players and we have to sort it out quickly if we want to compete against tough teams like Australia, India and South Africa," Miandad said.
"My job is just like an architect. I can draw, design and give plans. Ultimately it's the constructor's (captain's) job to build a solid building," he said.
"But then if the constructor doesn't have good resources he can't raise an impressive building."
