ISLAMABAD - Former cricketers Tuesday advised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) interim chairman Najam Sethi to make up a Pakistan B team for providing future replacements of players of the national squad.
Former leggie Abdul Qadir said: “By constituting a B team, we will get proper substitute of each and every player of the national team. In this way, we can also groom a whole new Pakistan B side.”
Qadir, who made his Test debut in Lahore against England in December 1977, said Sethi should also allocate some individuals to monitor the domestic cricket from where talented players could be picked for the squad. “These individuals should see for U-13, U-16 and U-19 players involved in domestic cricket and groom them properly so that when they come up to the age of 20, they are totally mature in their cricketing abilities,” he added.
Responding to a question, Qadir, who also served the PCB as chief selector, said: “I have always believed that the national team can do well under a local coach. The PCB must have appointed head coach Dav Whatmore as a consultant for the national team rather than a coach.”
Commenting on Pakistan defeat in the second Test match against Zimbabwe, Qadir said the players should be blamed for the loss and not the board.
Mohsin Hasan Khan said the PCB missed an excellent opportunity for grooming youngsters for the 2015 World Cup in the series against Zimbabwe and West Indies.
The former chief selector said by seeing the national team losing against the lowly-raked Zimbabwe, he felt like their players were not ready to play international cricket yet. "Younus Khan, M Hafeez, Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal should have rested for the tour as to give youngsters a chance," he said.
Giving his views for grooming a new captain for the 2015 World Cup, the former coach said anyone from Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq should be groomed for future.
Mohsin said he wished to see Umar Akmal in the series against South Africa. "I hope Umar will be included in the team as all is well with his health now," he added.