Mohammad Hafeez has
been in the firing line ever since he was handed over the reigns of the T20
squad. Majority of the critics are those who wanted to see the flamboyant
Shahid Afridi to be reinstated. Others just do not have faith in Hafeez’s
abilities as captain, as he lacks charisma and stardom which has been the
hallmark of Pakistani captains over the years.
But they forget that most recently we had Misbah-ul-Haq, a laid-back
character and at best an above average player, at the helm.
Despite being
defensive and at times short of ideas, Misbah led the team admirably and that
too during the crisis times of Pakistan
cricket. His job was to bring stability, build credibility and put the team
back on the winning track which he achieved against all odds. Sadly the ageing
Misbah has become a liability on the team in the limited overs version of the
game, although he still has a lot to offer at Test level. Now, the transition
requires a more aggressive and imaginative leader who can take the team to the
next level.
Shahid Afridi was
the obvious choice for many, especially the fans, but the board decided to move
on keeping the future in sight. Afridi has had his stints as captain the team
cannot afford another out-of-the-blue resignation from him. His antics, both on
and off the field, have damaged his reputation as the only iconic figure in Pakistan
cricket at the moment.
The credibility
issue is very important for Pakistan
especially as we endeavour to come out of the ghosts of the recent past.
Although Afridi is an honest and hardworking individual, his pretentiousness
makes him vulnerable to foolish acts. Further, his career is at the twilight
and we need a long-term solution.
For me, Hafeez is
the right man to lead Pakistan.
Although at present his record is modest, but he has been improving day by day
since his comeback to the team. Useful, at times brilliant, with the bat at the
top of the order, his off spin bowling is more than handy. He has been
constantly among the top five ODI and T20 bowlers and all-rounders in the
world. Due to his cricketing knowledge and game awareness, he is called
‘professor’ by his colleagues.
Mostly he is
aggressive as a player and can handle pressure. It is too early to judge him on
the basis of just a couple of series. He did make mistakes, especially in the
last T20 against Australia
in Dubai, but
we should not forget it was a dead rubber and he was trying to implement the
plan ‘B’.
He did not
introduce himself into the attack early, as he usually does, because he wanted
to give a bowl to the likes of Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq and Raza Hasan in
testing circumstances. The move backfired but it did give us a chance to
rethink our strategy for future matches. His decision to give Abdul Razzaq the
last over is being wrongly criticized as his decision to send him alongside
Umar Akmal for the SuperOver.
He has not done any
good to himself by offending a major media house in Pakistan by blaming them of
high-handedness which is another reason of severe criticism on a prominent
sports channel. He has to learn to ignore distractions and build rapport
because in Pakistan
extra-cricketing affairs overshadow your performance on the ground. So far he
has been able to gel the team together and has handled seniors like Shahid
Afridi and Abdul Razzaq admirably.
Some of the
criticism in the media is baseless. If he gets the support of his players and
the backing of the board, I am sure he would become a very good captain,
especially under the stare of the coach Dav Whatmore. Meanwhile, as Misbah is
phased out and replaced by Hafeez, we should look for a vice captain. At
present we should not look beyond Azhar Ali.
Good luck team
Hafeez!
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