Currently, Aaqib plays a crucial role in PCB’s think tank
21 November, 2024
PHOTO: PCB
Being excellent at one’s job has its benefits, but it also brings significant challenges. If an employee in an organization excels in their work, they are often assigned multiple responsibilities simultaneously, leading to overwhelming pressure. The same happens in cricket: if we find a good Test cricket player, we throw them into ODIs and T20s as well. However, as the saying goes, “Let the expert handle their expertise,” such experiments often fail.
Currently, Aaqib Javed’s star is shining brightly. Chairman Mohsin Naqvi admires him a lot. Initially, Aaqib was brought in for the National Cricket Academy, but his ideas and performance impressed the board so much that several additional responsibilities were assigned to him. The former pacer has been largely successful in meeting these challenges. When he was made a selector, he prepared spinning pitches and brought forgotten spinners back into the limelight. As a result, Pakistan stunned everyone by defeating England in a Test series, despite the absence of Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah, whom Aaqib benched together. The team still won, earning him more praise. He was also credited with holding a second Test on a used pitch, sidelining low-profile Aleem Dar, even though a PCB insider admitted to me that Aleem originally suggested the idea.
Before the series against Australia, when white-ball coach Gary Kirsten’s demands and ultimatums became too much, the PCB decided to let him go. At this point, Aaqib Javed’s name surfaced as a potential coach, but he clarified to his close circles that he would never accept dual roles. In the meantime, Test coach Jason Gillespie was persuaded to take on white-ball duties temporarily. However, Aaqib Javed was later appointed head coach for the Zimbabwe series, a challenge he readily accepted. However, it will be a tough journey. This isn’t Lahore Qalandars; it’s Pakistan’s national team. While Qalandars stuck with him through 7-8 years of PSL failures, here, even a few bad results will attract heavy criticism.
In the past, when electronic and social media didn’t exist, players could get away with saying anything and blaming misreporting. Now, anything said is permanently on record, repeatedly broadcasted on TV and social media. Aaqib, who used to criticize Misbah-ul-Haq for holding dual roles as selector and coach, now finds himself in a similar situation. His justification is that, unlike Misbah, he has 20 years of coaching experience. Even though he is no longer with Lahore Qalandars, critics continue to accuse him of favoring players from that franchise, despite the fact that players like Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf are automatic selections.
Having a coach as a selector can create conflicts. Players may hesitate to discuss injuries or personal issues with a coach who is also a selector, fearing repercussions. Aaqib once remarked about Babar Azam in the PSL, saying, “We don’t even bother to get him out,” implying criticism of his slow strike rate. Babar, known for his strong ego, might have taken this to heart, creating a tense atmosphere during any shared series.
Interestingly, Aaqib had once excluded Mohammad Rizwan from the Qalandars’ squad, yet now Rizwan is the national team captain under his tenure. Similarly, Aaqib removed Shahid Aslam from the franchise setup, only to bring him back as a batting coach in the national squad. This suggests that Aaqib may have changed or significantly evolved in his thinking.
Beyond these anecdotes, Aaqib Javed is known to be incredibly hardworking and honest. He is deeply committed to his work, and much of the credit for England’s Test and Australia’s ODI series victories goes to him. However, the T20 squad remains unbalanced, leading to heavy defeats. Players like Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman should have been included, and there’s a pressing need to find power hitters and all-rounders. Aaqib made a bold decision during the Zimbabwe tour by resting star players and selecting young talents, a strategy that should be employed against smaller teams to groom future stars.
Currently, Aaqib plays a crucial role in PCB’s think tank. However, by taking on too many responsibilities, he risks overwhelming himself. In Pakistan, there’s a habit of glorifying someone only to pull them down later. Franchise cricket is a different game, where individuals like Atif Rana and Sameen Rana provided him unwavering support. Here, in the national setup, there are countless critics waiting to pounce at the first sign of failure. As long as the team keeps winning, everything will remain fine. But if results falter, the coach is always the first to be sacrificed.
Just as Aaqib used to criticize other coaches and players on TV, his turn will come too. If he withstands this pressure, he may serve for a long time. Otherwise, he’ll have to look for another opportunity. For now, so far Aaqib Javed is successful. Within the PCB, whenever a challenging task arises, the common refrain is: “Aaqib Javed is there; just call him.” Hopefully, this trend continues, and he keeps achieving success.
