LAHORE: Pakistan coach Waqar Younis wants his batsmen to show substantial improvement on the upcoming tour of the West Indies.
Pakistan lost to traditional rivals India in the World Cup semifinal in Mohali last month and experts are of the view that it was the failure of the team’s batsmen that resulted in the disappointing loss.
Waqar is now hoping that his new-look team will show an improvement in the Caribbean, where it will play one Twenty20, five One-day Internationals and two Tests.
Pakistan have rested a number of senior players, including pace spearhead Umar Gul and middle-order batsman Younis Khan. They have opted for several rookies, including young batter Usman Salahuddin.
Waqar, a former Pakistan Test captain, is confident that youngsters like Salahuddin, who has scored 1,505 runs on the domestic circuit, are the future of Pakistan cricket.
“We have picked some youngsters for the tour (of West Indies) in the hope that they get groomed and serve the country in the future,” Waqar told reporters Wednesday ahead of the team’s departure for the West Indies.
“We won’t be taking the West Indies team lightly. We also have experience at our disposal and we hope to do well in the series,” stressed Waqar.
“Whatever shortcomings we had during the World Cup, we want to overcome them during this tour,” he added. “The main thing is that I want the batsmen to show improvement.”
Waqar also expressed his disapproval of the way Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been trying to persuade former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad to sign up as the national team’s batting coach.
“I don’t know why we go round and round and come back to Miandad every time. If Miandad doesn’t want to do the job then we must ask someone else for help because it’s not an issue of technique of the batsmen, its an issue of slight adjustment,” said Waqar, a legendary former Test fast bowler.
The PCB wanted Miandad to join the team as its batting coach but he has turned down the offer.
Waqar also urged the International Cricket Council to play its due role in reviving international cricket in Pakistan to address the cause of cricket in the region. “Revival of international cricket in Pakistan is the need of hour and Pakistan badly needs the return of international cricket at its soil”, he said.
“It is a difficult situation which we are going through and I hope that international cricket will soon return to Pakistan mainly due to the efforts of ICC and PCB,” he asserted.
He called for reviving Pak-India cricket series saying that it will not only serve the cause of cricket in sub-continent but the entire cricket world.
“Whenever Pakistan and India play at any venue it is always a super game and Pak-India series is of greater importance due to the interest of people across the globe.”
