The locked mind of the PCB..!

An URGENT request to the chairman PCB to hold an INQUEST, why PRECISELY Pak team failed in the areas in which each and every relevant person in the PCB like head coach, selectors and players etc were forewarned, at least half a year before (in September 2014) the start of the World Cup 2015.
STRANGELY our team failed specifically in those areas of the game, which were pointed out in the following write up dated 22 September, 2014.

Link…http://t.co/yP8CGhFsak

How to win the ODI World Cup 2015..? Proposals sent to the PCB on 22 September, 2014 confined to the dust bin..!

From: Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad [mailto:nayyarahmad51@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, SEPTEMBER 22, 2014 1:59 PM
Subject: World Cup 2015 – Few proposals for our team

Pakistan cricket team always had the potential and talent to win, any and all of the past cricket ODI & T20 world cup tournaments.

As such, there should be no doubt, about its chances of winning the next cricket ODI World Cup, scheduled to commence from 14 February 2015, to be played in Australia and New Zealand, where our (Pool B) 1st match, will be against the Indian team, on 15 February, 2015 at Adelaide.

The details of Pools A and B teams are given below:

Pool A.
England.
Australia.
Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh.
NewZealand.
Scotland.
Afghanistan.

Pool B.
India.
South Africa.
Pakistan.
West Indies.
Zimbabwe.
Ireland.
United Arab Emirates.

Since 4 teams from each pool (total 8 teams from both the pools) will move forward, to play quarter final matches, we can safely assume (barring any upset) that the following teams may qualify for the quarter finals.

Pool A.
England.
Australia.
Sri Lanka.
NewZealand.

Pool B.
India.
South Africa.
Pakistan.
West Indies.

Obviously, for all the teams playing quarter finals, semi finals and the final match, will be a do or die affair. Hence, for all intents and purposes, they will be considering all these matches, as a KNOCK OUT OR FINAL MATCH.

Now, for Pakistan to prepare for this ODI World Cup tournament, it has less than 5 months. Luckily, we also have the opportunity to play 8 ODI matches during coming Oct-Dec 2014, against Australia (3) and New Zealand (5).

PCB must ensure that firstly, it must also pick few newcomers with fresh legs, for the World Cup team, who performs outstandingly in the ongoing T20 national tournament being played in Karachi. This is high time that daring, fearless and hard hitting batsman like Awaiz Zia, is given an opportunity to play in all the 8 ODI matches vs Australia and New Zealand in UAE, to bolster his confidence for the World Cup tournament.

This is all the more necessary, because our low scores in the 1st power play part of the game, during the starting 10 overs, has been the achilles heel (a portion, spot, area, or the like, that is especially or solely vulnerable).

With World Cup almost at hand, we created a sort of a world record in just concluded ODI series vs Sri Lanka, by scoring only 19 runs in the first 10 overs of an ODI, when only 2 repeat 2 fielders, are stationed outside the 30 yards circle.

(On 1 March, 2015 Pakistan created even a more shameful world record that too against minnows Zimbabwe by scoring only 14 runs in 1st 10 overs).
We also possess the world record for playing the maximum number of DOT balls in the ODI’s and the T20 matches.

Pakistan also has the world’s lowest average of scoring the runs in the 1st 10 overs, which is 3.94/ over.

Our basic weaknesses in the ODI’s, as well as, in the T20 matches, have been the failure in scoring during the power play period (as if we have burdened the mind with the fear of losing the wickets during the power play, which in any case, on many occasions, we do lose, even with NOT scoring freely in the power play) and secondly, committing the CARDINAL mistake of not taking singles regularly, or playing huge number of DOT balls.

Both the above problems are obviously due to a negative mind set. And if our coaches particularly Mr. Waqar Younis, fails to address this very serious issue, our team will continue to perform, as we did in recent series in Sri Lanka played in August, 2014.

Our team management, must realise that it is not an issue of the ABILITIES of our players. Rather, it is related to the NEGATIVE mind set, imbibed or embedded in the MINDS of our players; and the only way to come out of this rut, is to do specific practise (particularly during the coming 8 ODI and 3 T20 matches vs Australia and New Zealand) of these two short comings, explained above.

In the coming 8 ODI and 3 T20 games, our tour management committee must give a minimum target of 80 runs, during the 1st 10 overs of the ODI’s; and 60 runs during the 1st 6 overs of the T20 games. Because, if at all we have to be the #1 team of the world, we will have to be BETTER THAN THE BEST.

However, our all batsmen must be told that they are required to play FAST but NOT at all required to play RASH.

They should also be told that the basic difference between cricket and the baseball game is that in baseball, you are supposed to hit every ball; and in cricket every ball has to be played on its merit. However, that doesn’t mean that batsmen should fail to score singles and doubles, if boundaries are not coming.

Moreover, to overcome the chronic problem of our batsmen, in effectively scoring runs of the short balls, coming fast over their shoulders, particularly on the bouncy wickets of Australia and New Zealand, they should be given rigorous practice, with special bouncing rubber balls, bowled over the cemented pitch.

Regarding fielding, the players should be taught that all 11 fielders must focus 100% during the game, just like a wicket keeper; and the best way to NOT to drop a catch and stop a hit, is to EXPECT that EACH and EVERY ball will be coming to me. This mind set will VASTLY improve the catching and fielding.

Further, while throwing the ball for a direct run out, first the fielder must LOCK his eyes on the wickets and then throw the ball towards the stumps, with one bump to the ground, rather than, direct aerial throw to the wickets. Research has proved that one bump throw to the wickets, increases the chances of hitting the stumps, compared with the aerial throw.

In the bowling field, the old adage of bowling wicket to wicket, still pays the maximum dividends. However, in the modern day cricket, disguised slower balls, the balls bowled away from the off stump (just short of wide ball) and surprise bouncers and slower bouncers have proved extremely useful and productive, during the crunch times; and in the case of FREE hits.

In this regard, PCB must prepare a plan named ”Vision 2015″. This plan should be a fool proof strategy with specific focus on winning the 2015 ODI World Cup tournament, considering all risk factors, like sudden unavailability of any player due to various reasons (as happened with Saeed Ajmal and later on with M. Hafeez and M. Irfan), at least five umpiring decisions going against us (two in batting; three in bowling innings), dropped catches/missed run outs and failure of main bowlers and batsmen etc. This plan should be based on preparations of the mind set of the players that in modern day ODI cricket, no score of any team, even if it was 300 or anything way above 300, should be considered a safe score, because the boundaries are small and rules heavily favouring the batsmen.

We should remember that plans never fail, we fail to plan. Moreover, the PCB “Vision 2015″ must state that “You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.”

Best of luck to the Pakistan cricket team….you can do it…you can win the World Cup…just believe in the fact that InshaAllah, you will be the world champions..!

Tags: My Views