Pakistan’s chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq could end up doubling up as his side’s batting consultant in the upcoming World Cup in England.
Inzamam, who is presently in South Africa with the team for the One-day International series, has shown interest in working full-time with the players. “He has already got involved with the team in South Africa and is attending their nets,” an official in the Pakistan Cricket Board was quoted as saying by PTI.
“Inzamam could be the next batting coach-consultant of the team before the World Cup as the board is not satisfied with the performance of batting coach, Grant Flower, who has been with the team since the last World Cup,” he said.
The official said that the selection committee and senior officials in the board were concerned about the decline in the batsmen’s consistency. Inzamam, a veteran of 120 Tests and over 300 ODIs, has flown to South Africa after Pakistan were whitewashed in the three-match Test series because of some dreadful batting collapses.
Earlier, in the home series against New Zealand in the UAE, Pakistan suffered dramatic batting collapses which led to a series loss. Inzamam has already had a short stint as batting consultant with the Pakistan before they went to India in 2012-’13, but talks of a permanent deal broke down over finances.
Former Test captain Asif Iqbal has also called for the coaching staff of the national team to be held accountable for the team’s poor performances.
“We always hear the players getting blamed for any poor show but what about the coaching panel? Are they also not responsible?,” Iqbal said. “If our batsmen are constantly making the same mistakes and not improving, it indicates a failure of the batting coach to deliver,” he added.