LAHORE: Misbah-ul-Haq, currently doing the temporary job of camp commandant at the pre-season training camp here at the National Cricket Academy, backs one of the three new models presently under consideration by the Pakistan Cricket Board, of offering dual role of chief selector and head coach of Pakistan team to one person.

“Though the idea of giving dual role to one person has some plus as well as minus points, its main benefit would be that one individual in the end will have to take the responsibility. Presently, the selectors pick 15 players for a tour, the coach decides the playing XI but no one takes the responsibility for defeats [if any]. However in this new model, no one can hide himself from taking the responsibility for the team’s losses. But managing this dual role must be a challenge for any one person,” Misbah said during a press conference at the two week pre-season camp on Wednesday.

When reminded that his name was also on the list of head coach or for the dual job to which some former cricketers have claimed that Misbah had no professional coaching credentials, the ex-Pakistan skipper said everybody had their own way of seeing things.

“Every person has a specific opinion on the same subject. I have passed Level-II coaching course and may be [some of] the former cricketers don’t have this information,” he told reporters. “For the last five to six years, I have also been acting as coach with my domestic teams SNGPL, Islamabad United and now Peshawar Zalmi too, and I am enjoying it.”

Responding to a question how he could go for any other post with the national team when he was already a member of the PCB cricket committee, Misbah said the day he would apply for any position he would definitely first resign from the committee.

Meanwhile, Misbah dispelled the impression that by accepting the job of the camp commandant he was going through a test for getting the post of head coach.

“As no national selection committee and coaching panel exist at the moment, I am working in the national cricket [as camp commandant] as I was asked for this short assignment. I am doing it to prepare the players before the start of the season,” the 45-year-old said.

“I have not yet applied for [the job of national team] head coach,” he added.

It may be mentioned that when the PCB appointed Misbah as Pakistan captain back in 2010-11, many former cricketers had started criticising the decision. The criticism at that time forced Misbah to issue a statement saying, “First let me perform as captain, then you may criticise me”.

And everyone knows he fully justified the PCB decision while emerging as the country’s most successful captain in Test cricket. As Pakistan won a record 26 Tests under him, the national team reached the top spot in the ICC Test team rankings.

Misbah said upcoming pacer Mohammad Hasnain had also been invited to the pre-season camp but the right-armer could not attend it as he had signed a contract for the Caribbean Premier League.

To a question, he said it was not decided that the Pakistan team for the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka would only be selected from the 20 probables of the training camp saying the field was open for all performers to claim a place in the team.

Answering a question, Misbah said the six provincial teams for the upcoming Quaid-i-Azam Trophy would be selected on the basis of the players’ performance during the last domestic season. “The new panel — comprising Rashid Latif, Nadeem Khan and himself — will just reduce the size of each team from 20 to 16.”

To a question about the next captain, Misbah said taking any decision on it was completely the domain of the PCB, and it must be considering different options to appoint captain — separately for each format or to continue with one captain.

“Yes, there may be extra load on a captain and to share it more captain could be appointed but if you can do it only if you have suitable persons to appoint captains for different formats,” he said.

Misbah defended the move of selecting teams for the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy with currently no national selection committee in place, saying it was all because of time constraint.

“When you are going to launch a new system you have to refine it gradually with the passage of time so time constraint is one of the reasons [some decisions are not being taken according to a set pattern],” he said.

Giving his word on the fitness of players at the pre-season camp, Misbah said there was room to bring improvement in it.

“Only fitness is not the criteria for selection as the player’s attitude, his performance and what the team expects from him also play role in his selection,” Misbah highlighted.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2019