04 April,2014 08:17 AM IST | | Waheed Khan
Pakistan cricket is known for its volatile nature and just three days after the team's humiliating exit from the World T20 in Bangladesh, Mohammad Hafeez has fallen prey to this culture
Mohammad Hafeez
Karachi: Pakistan cricket is known for its volatile nature and just three days after the team's humiliating exit from the World T20 in Bangladesh, Mohammad Hafeez has fallen prey to this culture.
Mohammad Hafeez
Ironically while Hafeez accepted responsibility for the World T20 fiasco to announce his resignation as national T20 captain yesterday and also stated he would not be continuing as vice-captain of the Test and one-day sides, head coach, Moin Khan insisted he was willing to carry on working with the team.
"I take full responsibility for our poor performance and my stepping down is a personal decision," Hafeez said in the backdrop of the Gaddafi stadium.
But when reporters asked former Test captain, Moin Khan whether he would also resign he had another story to tell.
"I had a contract for the Asia Cup and World T20 and it is now over but I have offered my services to the Board to carry on as head coach," Moin said.
The former wicketkeeper made the case that he had not got enough time to work with the team. "A coach or captain needs a proper time frame to produce results with a team. I accepted this assignment as a challenge. And I am willing to carry on if the Board wants me," he said.
Moin and Hafeez came out with their differing views after emerging from a meeting with the Board Chairman, Najam Sethi who later told reporters that Hafeez had made the job of the Board easier with his resignation.
"I didn't ask him to resign he did it himself but he has made our job easier for the future and now we can plan ahead with fresh ideas," Sethi said.
The statements of Sethi and Moin summed up one thing that Hafeez captain since 2012 took the honorable way out as the cards were stacked against him.
Hafeez in an exclusive chat with mid-day stuck to his statement that no one had forced him to step down but admitted his decision was influenced by the constant criticism of his form and captaincy.
"It was getting to me that for everything that went wrong with the team I was responsible. The media pressure and glare made life difficult for me and my family. So I think it is best the Board should be allowed to plan afresh,' he said.
Hafeez also admitted that the loss to India in the opening match of the World T20 had upset the momentum of the team. "If we had beaten India I can assure you we would have been in the semi-finals," he said.
The experienced all-rounder said he would be available as a player but this was now up to the selectors to decide what they wanted to do.
Sethi however made his intentions clear. "This is the start of a soul searching process to ensure Pakistan cricket goes up and obviously there will be more changes in the team. Players who have not lived up to expectations will go and youngsters will be given chances," he said.
Although Pakistan does not have its next international assignment until October against Australia but already the grapevine is loud and clear that Shahid Afridi is likely to return as captain of the T20 and ODI sides.
