Two Wasims in different roles

To appoint Wasim Akram as captain on a long-term basis was an obvious thing to do but since the obvious is rarely done, the decision is a welcome departure from the past when the captain would be selected by a trial and error method, mainly error, and the joke was making the rounds that ultimately the Pakistan team would comprise entirely of ex-captains. Even more welcome is the appointment of Moin Khan as his deputy and thus effectively the door has been slammed on those who may have been aspiring for these posts and could have sown the seeds of discord.

One of the most distressing aspects of Pakistan cricket in recent years has been the involvement of players in the "politics" of cricket which has resulted in groupings and infighting. As was to be expected it told on the performance of the team and it created bad blood. It was immensely sad to see such a highly talented team self-destructing. The players being young and untutored in "politics" became tools in the hands of officials who had their own agenda. Now that Wasim Akram, hopefully, will be at the helm for the full season, the players will be able to devote all their energies to the game. Wasim Akram is experienced enough to be given full charge of the team and there should be a minimum of interference from the outside. I have always believed that the captain should be the de facto head of the selection committee which is there to assist the captain and not the other way round.

Pakistan's best results came when Karadar and Imran were leading the team. They knew which players they wanted and were able to get them. It was, in a sense, a double-edged sword since they became liable for the results. A lot of highly promising young players now make up the Pakistan team and it is imperative that they should have a captain who can bring out the best in them. Like a plant, a young player needs to be looked after with loving care. To neglect or mistreat the plant will always result in its withering away or being stunted.

Not so lucky has been Wasim Raja and it seems that his appointment as coach is going to be short-lived. When he had been appointed, I had warned him through this column that he should take his time in settling down, get to know the players, their psychology and what makes them tick and to avoid getting involved in matters that fell outside the brief of a coach. A successful coach is one who stamps his authority on a team by winning the trust of the players. No coach has been successful who is strongheaded which is why most teams in the world have not appointed the truly great players as coaches. Pakistan did try out Javed Miandad and it did not work out of India have replaced Gaekwad with Kapil Dev and it remains to be seen how this appointment will work out.

Wasim Raja was an "individualist" when he was playing, in his days, a brilliant match-winning batsman. But he ploughed a lonely furrow and was inclined to keep to himself. These are qualities that are assets in pursuits that do not depend on team-work. While I had wished him well, as I have always, I had suggested that he would have to adjust himself to the nature of the job which required subordinating one's own personal views and working through accommodation. In other words, don't rock the boat. I do not know what went wrong but it rather looks that Pakistan will have a new coach and the name of Pybus, a South African is being mentioned. In the meanwhile Pakistan will also have a new physio, Pale Nyler who is described as Surrey based. He replaces Dr. Dan Kiesel who became a familiar sight on our television screens as he would run on to field carrying his bag of magic tricks to tend to a player who had got injured. Dan Keisel was a wonderful man, the gentlest of souls and the players were very attached to him. He apparently did not see eye to eye with the former coach Javed Miandad and had resigned but had been asked to continue till the World Cup.

The primary consideration of a team is its fitness and in my book a physio is far more important than a coach. Dan Keisel had got to know the players and this helps. The new physio will take time to adjust. The Pakistan players can be a handful and are inclined to resist the tough routine that a physio demands. Thus a physio needs to "sell" himself to the players and gain their trust. Dan Keisel had done that and I hope that the cricket authorities will recognise his services in a befitting manner even if it means simply thanking him for his efforts. As a well-wisher of Pakistan cricket I am doing so by mentioning him in this column with affection.

I would have liked to have written a full column about the Kenyan cricket team and will certainly do so in the future. They still have a long way to go but make no mistake they could become a cricketing power. Unlike South Africa and Zimbabwe, they have an indigenous base. It may have few players of Asian origin but it is wonderful to see that the Kenyan "sons of the soil" taking to the game. And whoever thought of bringing a large number of school boys and girls to watch the matches is to be congratulated. That's the way to catch 'em young. What Kenya needs is an infrastructure and a lot more exposure to international cricket. Whether they are ready for test cricket is not important but the only way to be ready is to play it. Test cricket cannot remain a closed club. When Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe got test status, they had their detractors. But they don't now