Miandad joins team as batting consultant in national camp
ormer Pakistan skipper and batsman Javed Miandad, welcomed the offer from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to work as a batting and fielding consultant with the national side, ahead of the 2011 World Cup. He joined the national training camp, which began
at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday to prepare for the upcoming tour of New Zealand.
Miandad represented his country in more than 350 Tests and One-day Internationals, and was a key member of the 1992 World Cup winning team. He is also currently serving as the director general of the PCB.
In addition he has coached the national team on three occasions, and was dismissed in unfriendly circumstances. Last time he was sacked by the cricket board in 2004, after a home-series defeat against India. Regardless of his dismissal he is still considered
as a legend around Pakistan.
Pakistan team manager Intikhab Alam believes that players have a lot to learn from Miandad’s experience, and his appointment in the role of consultant is a positive move. Alam said, "He has a lot of experience and batting knowledge, and can definitely be
helpful to the players in preparing for the New Zealand tour and World Cup."
He also stressed the importance of the training camp, and said that the camp was a preliminary step in the preparations for the New Zealand tour. Alam was excited about Miandad’s come back, and was hopeful that the trainer will fulfill his duties with zeal
and enthusiasm. He emphasised the need for the national side to improve their fielding and batting skills in the camp.
Miandad’s passion for training the Pakistani team can be judged from the fact that he spent three hours in the nets, guiding players and helping them with fielding drills.
Miandad told reporters "It is wonderful to be back with the boys in the field. It is an honour for me to help Pakistan cricket whenever I am needed and I will make myself available whenever asked for."
The veteran batsman said that he was looking forward to working with the team over the next few days, and hoped to fine tune their batting technique ahead of the tour to New Zealand.
He said that he agreed to take up the position only for the sake of enhancing the players’ skills.
The PCB has also asked Miandad to continue with the team in New Zealand; however Miandad has not yet made a final decision in that regard. A PCB official revealed that the former skipper has held talks with PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt, and told
him that he would inform him about his decision to accompany the national team in New Zealand within a few days.
Miandad also added that this is a golden opportunity for him to pass on his experience to the team, which will also help the squad in the World Cup.
Pakistan will play three Twenty20 matches, two Tests and Six One-day Internationals in New Zealand. This will be Pakistan’s last foreign tour before the World Cup begins in India in February.
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