Selection of team; Miandad reserves comments (20 April 1999)

20 April 1999

Selection of team; Miandad reserves comments

Our Sports Reporter

KARACHI, April 19: Pakistan coach Javed Miandad on Monday admitted that the team which was selected for the World Cup should have been in Sharjah.

Talking to Dawn from Lahore, the former captain stated that when the team was being selected for the World Cup the understanding was that the same bunch was players would go to Sharjah.

"But what transpired later, I don't know. But I personally feel that the players should have been together," the former Pakistan captain said.

Mushtaq Ahmad and Waqar Younis were named in the World Cup side but Arshad Khan and Shahid Nazir were taken to Sharjah.

Miandad opined that even if Mushtaq Ahmad and Waqar Younis had not played in Sharjah, they would have at least stayed with the team.

"They could have trained with us. In addition to this, if they had been together, a better understanding, cohesion and atmosphere could have created. But why they didn't come to Sharjah, I just don't know," he remarked.

Miandad disclosed that he was not consulted by the selection committee while finalizing the World Cup team. "The chief selector never contacted me. Therefore, I want to reserve my comments on the team. But I will continue to work hard with whatever set of players is given to me."

The coach said he was concerned with the trend of slow over-rate. But stated that it was overcome in the final.

"As far as we are concerned, we want to win matches. A penalty of one or two overs is acceptable if we win matches. But the over-rate has been slow and we would have problems in England if we don't rectify the mistake immediately."

He said he instructed the players to move quickly between the overs and try to operate more with the spinners. "When we play with three fast bowlers, over-rate tends to slow down and that can only be covered if we move quickly (between the overs) and bowl spinners."

Miandad said the morale and confidence of the players was sky high. "I think wins have made all the difference. The players have started believing in themselves and they are playing hard cricket in every match."

Asked if Pakistan would be able to perform equally well in England after performing in absolutely different conditions, Miandad replied: "Pakistan is the only team to have won every Test series there since 1987. The conditions are not new to the players.

"Yes, we have lost all the one-day series to England in England, but in the World Cup we will be playing against different oppositions for whom the conditions would be as alien as for us.

"The biggest achievement by playing in the sub-continent is that we have succeeded in establishing the combination of the players. The players who were off form and struggling, have regained their confidence."

Miandad said the 10-day gap for the players was very essential after a demanding season. He, however, said he has given the players a schedule how they have to train during the gap and hoped that his instructions were being followed.

"I am sure that when they would assemble again, they would be physically and mentally fresh," he hoped.

Source :: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)