Lahore, 28 November 2023: Mohammad Hafeez, Director Pakistan men’s cricket team, held a press conference ahead of the squad’s departure for Australia, which comprises of three Tests to be played from 14 December 2023 to 7 January 2024.
Mohammad Hafeez: “I would like to thank Mr Zaka Ashraf for bestowing me with the responsibility to serve as Director Pakistan men’s cricket team. It is a really exciting tour to be a part of as we have the chance to prove ourselves in challenging positions. I have observed that the team has hunger to perform, as we trained during the camp that was held in the past couple of days. We have only begun our training but we are mentally and physically prepared for the tour.”
Q: Can you elaborate on the coaching staff that you have picked for the tour, as they are relatively inexperienced?
MH: “When opportunities like these come, you have nothing to lose. We do not have to look back at the past records, we just have to look ahead because we are only answerable for the results that come moving forward. I am the team director so that means looking over the team strategy. My coaching staff will be facilitating these plans to make sure that the players perform to the best of their skills and plans. We do not need a head coach currently, but if we require one in the future, we will summon a head coach as well. Your coach or supporting staff should always be your biggest guide, whether local or foreign. My priority was to use our own resources when I was summoning people for our current coaching staff as I think they understand what it means to represent Pakistan, due to their own experience as well.
“My own plan was to first reach out to our local resources for coaching and support staff and any gap that was left was filled by foreign staff. We have engaged some other names in coaching as well, which will be revealed in due course, as we believe their expertise on playing in Australia will be valuable for us while we are on tour.”
Q: Can you comment on the squad as it is relatively inexperienced as well?
MH: “There is always time and space to learn. I do not think inexperience should be considered as an excuse when you are performing at the highest level. As we are moving forward as a unit, we need to accept that we are lagging behind as we have not moved forward with modern cricket. Our Test team is well settled, especially our batting. We struggled with selecting our bowling but we have picked players who have done well in domestic cricket. I believe when deserving players are awarded chances, results follow as well.”
Q: Australia has been historically challenging for Pakistan. What has been the team mindset while preparing for the tour?
MH: “There is always something to gain when you go in any assignment with a positive mindset. As a team, we are excited to take on the challenge. We are going with the mindset to win — we are not thinking about anything else currently. Each player in the squad is looking to enhance their own skills and develop wherever they are lagging, which is really important. We are not looking to counter or challenge a single opposing player, rather we will be looking to dominate as a team. We will play modern day cricket. Our team goal is to ensure that we win the series as well maximising results from our available resources. Modern day cricket demands impactful performances. You have to remain ahead of the game and play aggressive game, which we have to adopt. I believe we need to step out of our comfort zone and show intent towards playing modern-day cricket.”
Q: Has the change in captaincy impacted the dressing room in any way?
MH: “Whenever you are made captain, you have added responsibility but as an ambassador of your country, it does not really matter whether or not you are made captain, as your contribution is required for the team. Babar Azam continues to be one of the most important players in the team and he has contributed to the best of his abilities wherever he can, even now during the camp. He has also been helping Shan Masood, whenever he has been consulted in the field during training. Babar’s contribution to Pakistan cannot be denied as he has done incredibly for the team whether as a batter or during his tenure as captain. Whoever has been made captain for Pakistan is deserving of the post. Shan is learning every day on the job and is a very well-rounded individual. Similarly for Shaheen Shah Afridi as well, as both have room for tactical and technical growth. These are good signs for Pakistan.
Q: Could you explain why Haris Rauf has not been awarded a NOC for the BBL?
MH: “The priority for any centrally or domestically contracted players should be representing Pakistan. We are looking to develop a set NOC policy and that will be communicated clearly, as soon as the policy is developed. The players who are awarded the central contract are expected to be available for Pakistan’s schedule which is released when the FTP is made public. We need to base our policies on what Pakistan cricket needs and workload and fatigue management is a big part of that. We need our centrally contracted players to be available and at their best for Pakistan, but they are free to avail any chances that do not hinder their performance for Pakistan.
“Representing Pakistan and red-ball domestic cricket should be our priority and we may have to take some steps to make sure that this attitude is promoted and prioritised as such. We want to bring back our players to longer formats as that is where we are lagging right now. The central contracts will remain as they are and they will continue for the complete cycle. The NOC policy will be implemented to ensure that Pakistan cricket is prioritised over league cricket. It does not mean that league cricket will be disallowed. As far as Haris Rauf is concerned, he ensured his availability but later changed his mind. He was cleared by the medical panel and the physiotherapist. He has made himself unavailable for red-ball cricket although his central contract demands his availability in all formats. Moving forward, contracts will be awarded keeping in mind availability in all formats but that does not mean that players will be forced to play what they do not want.”
Q: What has been the criteria of player selection for the upcoming tour?
MH: “No single player or group will be given advantage as far as I am serving. We will be awarding selections completely based on merit. There will be days when certain players perform well in domestic cricket who are not selected but that is because we need to keep in mind the requirements of the team as well as you cannot unsettle a settled team. This enhances professional competition. We will be calling up domestic performers based on the requirements of the team. While we will be missing Naseem Shah, and dearly wish he returns to his best soon, I think it is unfair to pin your victories and failures on just one individual. We have picked up bowlers from our domestic resources, as well as experienced players, and we have worked on their bowling during the camp. We have worked on their mistakes and they look really good. I back the bowling attack travelling to Australia to take 20 wickets in Test matches there.”
Q: As team director, will you see yourself responsible for the outcomes of the tour?
MH: “Since I am leading the team management, any failure that befalls our way will be my responsibility. Wherever we do well, that should be credited to the players as wins come when players do well but in case of failure, I should be the first person to be criticised for our mistakes since I am the team director, therefore the one responsible. Every team has their own strategy. We have worked on our own strategy, but it takes time to fine-tune it. We have to work on it but we perform well when we play aggressive cricket. We will not be adapting to anyone else’s playing strategy but rather developing our own according to our strengths.”
Q: Can you clarify the separation between regional and departmental cricket?
MH: “Regional cricket and departmental cricket had been separated while I was serving in the technical committee. It was not decided later on. It was very clearly mentioned that a player should play from their own region but if he is not selected in the first 30, then they can play for another region, provided they have a NOC. Under-19 players have not been allowed to play National T20 Cup because we want our young players to build the basics of the game before they are introduced into the shortest format. We want to ensure that the young players play at least 10 first-class games before they start playing T20 cricket, whether it is in domestic cricket or stages like the HBL PSL. Facilitation in domestic cricket has been our priority.”
Q: Could you comment on Imad Wasim’s decision to retire?
MH: “When I took on the role, I communicated to Imad Wasim that he was in my plans for Pakistan cricket. He had not signed the central contract by then, although he had been awarded one. He made himself unavailable for the New Zealand series and then later announced his retirement. I wish the best for Imad as he has served Pakistan Cricket with utmost integrity. I personally called Mohammad Amir and told him that if he wants to play for Pakistan, he is free to take back his retirement and get back in the system. If he performs in domestic, he will be considered purely on the basis on merit. He communicated to me that he had moved on. I reached out to a few other players as well but my demand was the same that they perform in domestic cricket. At the end, you have to respect the player’s decision.”
