Basit Ali

Personal Profile

Name	Date of Birth	Team	Batting Style	Bowling Style
Basit Ali	13/12/1970	Pakistan	Right-hand bat	-

Batting Record

	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	SR	100	50
Tests	19	33	1	858	103	26.81	47.58	1	5
ODIs	50	43	6	1265	127*	34.18	75.79	1	9

PCB and The Dilemma of Batting Coach

The requirements of modern cricket are completely different from those of 1990s. In those days only one coach was good enough for the coaching of the players. Now-a-days different cricket boards are appointing different coaches for different fields according to their weakness.  But the planning of Pakistan cricket boards is different from all other boards. This is an obvious fact that Pakistani batting line is not reliable. There are talented batsmen in Pakistan cricket team but they required grooming. So, therefore, a batting coach is compulsion of Pakistan cricket team, but inspite appointment of one enthusiastic batting coach, PCB had appointed two bowling coaches in the shape of Waqar Younis and Aqib Javed. Although the responsibilities of Waqar Younis are of head coach but as we know that he was pure bowler, therefore, one cannot expect from him that he will coach the team in batting field.  The only perplexing question is, what are the hurdles in appointment of Batting Coach for Pakistan Cricket Team.  Demand for batting coach was there before the world cup but PCB ignored it.  Pakistan cricket fans were expecting that PCB will realize the importance of batting coach after World cup and will appoint a batting coach, but amazingly PCB is still not interesting. It adopted the same stupid method, that we are trying to make agree Javed Miandad, and as often Javed Miandad is not agree. Shahid Afridi has very rightly said that If Javed is not agree then appoint some one else.

Pakistan has potential players of the past whom can meet the responsibilities. Players like Saeed Anwar, Basit Ali, Rameez Raja and Mohsin Hassan Khan can contribute positively. So, this is not a hard task for PCB, PCB can meet this responsibility easily by appointing one of the above legends as batting coach.

When Waqar Younis was performing the duties of Bowling Coach and Aqib Javed was out of the team management during tour to Sri Lanka of Pakistan cricket team few years ago, I heard him so many times, that If I am on the place of Waaqr Younis, I will not travel with the team and will prefer to perform my duties in academies, but now when Waqar Younis is there with the team, Aqib has forgotten his words and is traveling with the team regularly. So, in the best interest of team he should perform his duties in the academies and should empty his seat for batting coach in the best interest of Pakistan cricket team.

New Talent in Pakistan Cricket Team – Who Will Groom Them?

PCB has announced team for the Tour of West Indies 2011. Some senior players have been dropped and new talent has been inducted. The induction of new talent is good step. Now these new players have to be groomed by the seniors, but unfortunately there is no senior like Javed Miadad and Imran Khan in the current team who can aware them regarding importance of  singles and doubles. Younis Khan has been dropped and Misbah has no potential to groom this talent. Asad Shafiq and Umer Akmal are young and they required grooming themselves.  So, this is huge disadvantage for this young talent. Kamran Akmal has been also dropped because of his bad wicket keeping, no one can support him as wicketkeeper, but he was the only batsman who was able to play drives like Saeed Anwar and Inzamam. If PCB gave him a chance as batsman and released the pressure of wicket keeping from him he has the potential to become a useful part of batting line.

Now, how can PCB meet the problem of grooming the new talent? Only an enthusiastic coach can dot it off the field. Therefore, an enthusiastic coach is required. Although Javed Miadad is legend, but he is aged and had been unsuccessful in making his relationship with the players in past, therefore, PCB should think for some one else. Saeed Anwer and Basit Ali can perform the duties. Both were attacking players and were gifted to adjust themselves with situation occasionally as well.

So PCB should take bold step for appointment of one of them as coach quickly for the upcoming tour of West Indies.