Waqar Younis hits out at critics; wants youth to be promoted

Waqar Younis is not pleased with the way he has been treated

Current head coach of the Pakistan cricket team, Waqar Younis, has hit out at comments made by former Pakistani players and critics. The former international skipper said that he does not think too highly of himself and shares a good rapport with the team. He also stated that he has nothing against the senior players.

"Look, the moment I hung up my cricket kit I came down to earth. And living in Australia the comedown was faster. I know I am not Waqar the player anymore and I am not arrogant at all with the players, in fact, I am very friendly with them. But yes I don't make compromises on training and cricket because if you start making compromises in these areas than Pakistan cricket will never move forward," Waqar was quoted as saying, in an interview with Geo Sports on Monday.

"It is wrong to say I look down on anyone or can't forget I was a superstar once. I believe that as a coach you shouldn't have players in the side who have played with you but I have never willingly tried to end anyone's career. I would be mad to drop a player who is performing for the team. Because who doesn't like success.”

Waqar unhappy with former teammates

He then continued to say that his former team-mates, who now are television experts, have made unfair and harsh comments on him at times.

"I can take both fair and harsh criticism. But the truth is that these allegations of me hatching a plan to drop senior players is not correct. The players who went out including Razzaq, Yousuf or Shoaib Akhtar were on the downhill of their careers when they were dropped," the former Pakistan pacer said.

When asked about selecting Wahab Riaz over the experienced Shoaib Akhtar during the World Cup semi-final against India in 2011, he asserted: "So we had to drop Shoaib and the truth is at that time he was struggling to complete even three overs and Wahab vindicated his selection by taking five wickets.

"As a fast bowler you need to take care yourself, which Shoaib unfortunately didn't do."

Waqar wants mix of youth and experience

Considering the policy followed by India, he feels it is important to develop new talent in Pakistan and groom them with a few senior players in the side.

"I have always been a big believer that you need to have three or four young and new players with the seniors so that they can be groomed accordingly and be ready to take over places of seniors when they retire," he added.

Expressing his disappointment about his confidential reports, on the recently concluded World Cup, being leaked from the cricket board, he said: "It is not right that something you have shared in confidence with the board is leaked out this way. But I can say the way my report has been portrayed it is not like that.

"I have used no harsh words for anyone and I have been careful in my summarisation. But I have said what needs to be said because some players need to develop more cricket awareness and need to go back to domestic cricket and work on that aspect of their game.

"Pakistan team needs to have players with the right attitude as the other teams are now moving ahead very fast and if we don't work on our apparent weaknesses we will be left behind."

On Pakistan’s weaknesses being exposed in the World Cup, he said: “We have been exposed in the World Cup. Our fielding was exposed badly, our batsmen struggled and our fitness standards were not up to the mark. My priority is to have players with the right fitness and fielding standards.

"I want players who are hungry to do well who are hungry to improve their attitude and fitness. That is the only way forward for us now."

“Decision to not play Sarfraz was not just my call”

The former fast bowler also apologized to Pakistan fans and explained the reason behind the exclusion of wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfraz Ahmed from most games during the World Cup.

"I apologise if anyone thinks I was wrong, but the truth is the decision to not play Sarfraz in the initial matches of the World Cup was not just mine the chief selector, captain and manager were all on the same page because in the run up matches to the World Cup Sarfraz appeared to have lost confidence with the bat and I didn't want to push him and hurt his career," he explained.