Pakistan coach blames Sana Mir's 'self-centric' attitude for World Cup loss

What's the story?

Sabah Azhar, head coach of Pakistan's women's cricket team, lashed out at Sana Mir, the captain, and Ayesha Ashar, the manager of the national side, blaming them for Pakistan's loss in the recently concluded ICC Women's World Cup 2017.

In a report submitted to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Azhar aired all his grievances against the skipper and her inability to balance the team. His statement read, "My humble view is if the set of these four - three players and manager - continue with the national team, there’s absolutely no chance of players’ growth in the team."

He also mentioned that Ayesha was partial towards the senior players whereas Sana was extremely self-centered despite being given the responsibility of leading the team.

In case you didn't know...

In the ICC Women's World Cup 2017, Pakistan finished bottom of the table. They failed to qualify for the knockout stages after losing all the seven matches they played.

The details

Azhar, in his report, held three players and the team manager responsible for Pakistan's humiliating exit from the tournament. He stated that Sana adopted a very negative approach towards the game which demoralized the other players. Moreover, the senior players in the team constantly criticised the juniors and demotivated them even further.

He also pointed out that the skipper was so self-obsessed that she could not look beyond her own stats, salary, and average. This attitude of hers affected the mindset of the younger players who could not play as a team while being led by a selfish individual.

He also criticised Ayesha for showing favouritism, stating that she was partial to the senior players in the team and often acted coldly towards the juniors. Eventually, this behaviour created a rift within the team itself.

What's next?

This report can cause a lot of problems for the national team. Either the captain and the manager will face the music as a consequence of their actions or the coach himself might be replaced.

Author's take

Despite Azhar's being an official report, it tells only one side of the story. It will be unfair to comment on this issue without being aware of the entire scenario. Sana Mir is an experienced player and is expected to go about her job of captaining the side with the utmost professionalism.

On the other hand, if the claims made in the reports are true, PCB will have to look into the matter and bring about the necessary changes.