Do come back Waqar!

Waqar’s tenure as Pakistan coach had more positives in it than a first look might suggest >

The day Waqar Younis resigned as coach of Pakistan cricket team; I got engulfed in the fear of unknown. Not that he turned Pakistan into world beaters, but the manner in which he carried Pakistan through crises after crises and gave results along the way has raised his profile even in the eyes of the doubters. He was needed for some time more.

Waqar resigned, unexpectedly, citing personal and health reasons on August 20 ahead of the Pakistan tour to Zimbabwe. Announcing the decision, which shocked players as well as cricket lovers, he said: "I have tendered my resignation to the board last week and the tour to Zimbabwe will be my last. I have taken this decision on personal grounds, including medical grounds, and have no differences with anyone and my resignation has been accepted by the board.

He took over from Intikhab Alam in March 2010 amidst crisis in Pakistan cricket. Pakistan had just returned from a winless tour Down Under and allegations of match fixing and indiscipline were rife. In his first major assignment, Pakistan reached the semi-final of the World T20, where a final spot looked certain until Mike Hussey robbed them single handedly.

English tour was a big test for his skills but it turned out to be a disastrous one for Pakistan as spot-fixing controversy hit the headlines. Trouble started with Shahid Afridi withdrawing, shockingly out of no where, from Test captaincy after leading Pakistan to a big loss in the first Test against Australia. Salman Butt was chosen to lead and he started brilliantly by winning the next one, and drawing the 2-Test series. Pakistan went into Test series against England with some confidence.
 
The reverberations of Afridi’s sudden withdrawal were still in the air when a catastrophe hit Pakistan cricket, in fact the world of cricket. Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir and Salman Butt were accused of spot-fixing in the Lords Test by News of the World, which provided video and documentary evidence to ICC leading to their withdrawal from the tour.

Their loss, and loss of credibility by large, adversely affected Pakistan’s performance and they lost both Test and ODI series comprehensively. In this time of crisis, when players were left in the cold by the PCB top brass and the management of Yawar Saeed proved to be a massive failure, one man kept his dignity and composure. And that man was Waqar Younis.

As it wasn’t enough, Zulqarnain Haider fled from the Team hotel in the middle of the Tour in Dubai, on the pretext that he was threatened for life, plunging controversy-hit team into deeper mess. At that time the ODI team was led by Shahid Afridi, while Misbah-ul-Haq was Test captain. Every time Waqar had to build a team, a new crisis erupted.

Under Misbah, team performed admirably and drew the Test series against the powerful South Africans. It was a good enough beginning, yet again.

The working relationship between Waqar and Misbah seemed to work well for Pakistan as they won the Test series in New Zealand. The ODI series too was in Pakistan’s favour.  It was after this tour, that PCB high-ups started thinking for the future. Apart from helping the team gel together, the Waqar-Misbah combination also produced good results.

There were thought of relieving Afridi of the ODI captaincy and handing it to Misbah ahead of the World cup. It is still not clear whom Waqar was in favour of, but the world Cup campaign ended sourly after a bright start. The fact that the team reached the semifinal stage despite having suffered off the field over the past year was enough for the fans to celebrate. Many at that time thought, things could have been different had Misbah were at the helm.

It was a satisfactory performance for the coach Waqar Younis, but it was heartbreaking as well, as he had never won a World Cup as a player - he was out injured in 1992. It was widely expected that Pakistan cricket will go up from there, as the set-up looked well settled and largely controversy free.

Pakistan toured West Indies in May 2011 and drew the Test series 1-1. Afridi returned to captain in the 5-match ODI series in which Pakistan cruised to 3-0 advantage after three matches. The next two, dead rubbers, Pakistan lost and it was apparent that some thing was not right in the touring camp.

The differences over selection matters for the ODI series soured to such an extent that Afridi criticized Waqar openly upon reaching home. It was really in bad taste and in clear violation of the PCB’s code of conduct. Serious cracks had appeared in the relationship of coach and the captain. The matters which could have been settled behind closed doors through negotiations were brought in the open, and PCB reacted, belatedly as always, by removing Afridi from captaincy.

Afridi’s knee-jerk reaction led to his ‘conditional’ retirement from the game. Misbah was handed over the T20I and ODI captaincy. The blame game continued for a while before it faded away with the impression that Afridi had acted prematurely although there were signs Ijaz Butt wanted to get rid of him, any way.
Waqar Younis did not give impression that he retired because of any differences with the PCB. It was heartening to see PCB giving him a formal farewell, as Waqar left for Australia to join his family. A vacuum was clearly felt both by the players and the fans alike.

There was no doubt about Waqar Younis the player, but many critics doubted his ability to coach the team. The main task was to unite a bunch of players who were not gelling together for a long time, apart from side-stepping the whims of the PCB. His previous stint as bowling coach had ended bitterly after developing differences with the management.

His tenure was not a rollercoaster one, as he described himself while announcing resignation. It was full of distractions, but he kept his focus firmly on the job. He had belief in his players and his own abilities. Gradually the team was creating a new atmosphere and character which was largely due to Waqar’s presence, aided by exclusion of divisive players from the team as well as Misbah’s calming and stabilizing persona.
The start of a new era has received a major blow in the shape of Waqar’s resignation. Misbah has proved to be a blessing for Pakistan cricket at a time when PCB is unable to find a suitable captain, apart from him off course. The partnership of Waqar and Misbah was the perfect platform for the future to be built. Any new coach, foreign or local, will have to start afresh as he will not meet with a settled set-up.
It will be a travesty, considering all that happened to Pakistan cricket, if Ijaz Butt is reappointed at the end of October for a second stint. In any case, PCB should have waited until that before advertising for a new coach. Although Waqar cited personal reasons, but those who know Pakistan cricket and PCB would testify that it is not what it looks some times.

In all likelihood, PCB will appoint an interim coach for the Sri Lanka series in UAE, as the committee formed for nominating the new coach is yet to finalize its recommendations. A suitable candidate, foreign or local, may not be readily available.

In this scenario, there is still a possibility that Waqar comes back and takes the job as early as after the next tour. The PCB chairman has also hinted that Waqar would be welcome if he sorts out his personal problems and decides to rejoin. There is no harm in extending a formal invitation to Waqar.

It is hoped, for the sake of Pakistan cricket, that Waqar sorts his problems and returns to coach his team once again. He will be welcome by every one; fans, players and Ijaz Butt alike – a rare scenario indeed.