According to local news sources in Pakistan, the National Team’s foreign coaches are set to be relieved of their duties following a disappointing World Cup Campaign. Amongst the coaches in trouble are the Team Director, Mickey Arthur, Grant Bradburn and Andrew Puttick.
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Pakistan’s World Cup Campaign
Fans were disheartened by the team’s performances. They failed to qualify for the knockouts stage of the tournament and were ousted after winning just 4 out of the possible 9 games. Their campaign did not instil confidence, at no point were they sure of their position in the semi finals. Their chances of reaching the semi-finals hinged on several unforeseeable outcomes, none of which materialized in the end.
The batting performance remained inconsistent throughout the tournament. While Mohammed Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, and Babar Azam managed to surpass the 300-run mark, their performances were not entirely convincing. Although Fakhar Zaman’s approach instilled confidence, his participation was limited to only four out of the nine matches. Moving ahead, they will aim to strengthen their batting lineup and strive for a level of play in longer formats that mirrors their success in T20 cricket.
The biggest cause for concern for them will be their bowling woes. Most countries would take a bowler of Shaheen Afridi’s calibre in a heartbeat. Bowlers like Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali and Naseem Shah have also shown that they belong with the best of the best. But some of the performances by Pakistan’s lead bowlers have been glaringly poor. Haris Rauf conceding more than 500 runs in a single campaign is proof of how things went wrong.
Morne Morkel quits as Pakistan Bowling Coach
On 13th November, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced that Morne Morkel had decided to resign from his contract that binds him as Pakistan’s Bowling Coach till the end of 2023. The Pakistan Cricket Board has also announced that a replacement will be announced soon. This news came immediately after Legend Inzamam Ul Haq had announced his release as Pakistan Selector.
Morkel’s commitments to Franchises in other leagues interfered with his commitment to Pakistan. Eventually, he found that these commitments made it untenable for him to continue with the National Team. He holds no bad feelings to Pakistani Cricket and claims that he had many highs as the coach and wishes he could have held his position for longer.
Despite injuries to key personnel, Morkel’s stint saw a lot of sporting success in tours like the one against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. The Fast Bowlers have developed a lot under him and will look back at their time under the Protean Fast Bowler with Pride.
It is ironic that Morkel’s tenure as the Bowling Coach commenced with a reorganization of the coaching staff and will similarly come to an end with a restructuring of the coaching team.
Recent Updates
After Morne Morkel and Inzamam Ul Haq resigned from their positions, there was speculation about another reorganisation of the management team. There was also speculation of Pakistan continuing with a new captain with Babar Azam facing major criticism for their performances.
Samaa TV, a renowned Pakistani news channel, was the first to report any potential changes. According to their information, the foreign coaches of the National Team are expected to be sacked soon with a view to change things up for the future. Furthermore, there are indications of an urgent meeting involving PCB Chief Zaka Ashraf and former captain Younis Khan.
The repeated underperformance in multiple consecutive World Cups is a matter of worry for a cricketing nation of Pakistan’s stature. The meeting aims to delve into the reasons behind these subpar performances and seek solutions to lift them out of their current predicament.
