Imran offers help Pak out of WC crisis

'It's not the time to take drastic measures'

Imran offers to help Pakistan out of World Cup crisis

March 21, 2007

Imran Khan, the former Pakistan captain, has offered his services to help restore Pakistan's status after their shocking exit from the World Cup in a three-wicket defeat against Ireland.

"I am ready to sit down with the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board [PCB] and see what we could do to bring the nation out of this cricketing crisis," Imran said in a television programme.

Imran blamed captain Inzamam-ul-Haq for the debacle after Pakistan lost both their group matches - against the West Indies and Ireland - to become the first team to exit the World Cup.

"His captaincy was timid," Imran said. "Inzamam himself said before the World Cup that he would bat at No.4, but when the tournament began he came out to bat at No.5. This built pressure on the team and we simply collapsed against medium-pace bowlers of Ireland," he explained.

After the untimely death of the Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer, Imran advised the PCB to bring in two coaches - one for the bowlers and other for batsmen.

"I would suggest Aaqib Javed should be the bowling coach because he had coached Pakistan to win two Under-19 World Cups," Imran suggested. He added, without offering any names, that the PCB also should look for a good batting coach.

Imran backed Younis Khan as the future captain. "It's not the time to take drastic measures," he said.

Domestic cricket, in Imran's opinion, also had to be streamlined in the manner in which domestic competitions were run in Australia and South Africa. "I have played in Sheffield Shield and I know they have the best system of just six teams in first-class cricket," Imran said. "That's the only way we could also produce quality cricketers," he explained.