Can Mohsin Khan replace Waqar Younis?

A head coach is the backbone of a cricket team, and the person who makes or breaks a side. Apart from imparting cricketing skills, a coach is supposed to teach the art of sportsmanship.

The main reason behind Team India’s glorious victory in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, was certainly the man at work, Gary Kirsten. The same happened with the Englishmen whose coach, Andy Flower, guided them to the top
position in the Test rankings.

As far as Team Pakistan is concerned, the coaches, the team management and the players have always been at odds. This caused an early entry and exit of the coaches.

Waqar Younis is an iconic name in the history of cricket. The legendary pacer coached the Men in Green successfully for at least two years starting from 2010.

Under his meticulous supervision, the team bagged some notable victories. During 2011 edition of the mega event, he steered the boys to reach the Semi-final round. After a splendid show in the show piece event, the Pakistan
side won a tour series in West Indies under Waqar’s command.

However, the good times did not last long. Suddenly after West Indies series, Waqar announced to quit the job due to health issues. He walked away, leaving the post vacant and creating a huge gap.

Mohsin Khan, a former Test batsman and the then chief selector, was brought to work as an acting coach. After holding the reins, he guided the side to triumph in a high-profile series against Sri Lanka followed by a comprehensive
victory against Bangladesh.

If somebody compares Waqar and Khan, he will find a huge difference between the two veterans. The latter played international cricket for a limited period of time and then switched to the film industry. Waqar, on the other
side, kept on serving his native team in away or other.

Thus, from the point of view of the on-field experience, the two have no match. Waqar is undisputedly the great. Moreover, as far as the comparison between their coaching skills is concerned, Waqar is technically stronger
than the present coach.

Despite Waqar better-quality, one cannot overlook the brilliant work the side has done so far during Khan’s stint, losing not a single event since his arrival.

A lot of cricket pundits argue that the Men in Green’s current winning streak is not owed to Khan only, rather it is a result of the players’ diligence and vigilance, couple with Misbah-ul-Haq’s leadership.

Khan himself claimed that he has not taught professional skills to the boys, but merely created spirit among them. Without a doubt, Waqar is more technical than Khan in terms of cricketing skills and game knowledge.

But, Khan can be a good team manager – someone with the ability to gel the guys together and create a good atmosphere in the dressing room.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=12769

Posted by Rana Nasir Ghafoor on Feb 14 2012. Filed under Opinion, Pakistan, Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry