Tag: Rashid Latif

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has compared under-performing batter Babar Azam to legendary Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar, citing highlighting similarities in their batting technique.

Rashid talked about Babar’s recent struggles and stated that players like him and Sachin can regain form quicker due to them being technically sound.

“It becomes really difficult for our players to come out of the poor form if there is some issue with their technique. I have seen many players going through a form slump, including Sachin Tendulkar,” said Rashid Latif.

“But since Sachin had a sound and good batting technique, he never took time to overcome the patchy form.”

The ex-wicketkeeper also mentioned that, unlike Sachin, Virender Sehwag took a longer time to regain form due to his inferior technique.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“On the other hand, players like Virender Sehwag used to take more time to come out of a lean patch. This is the difference between a better player and a comparatively less skilled player,” the former captain added.

Rashid Latif then highlighted the ongoing issues in Babar’s technique, which led to his prolonged batting slump.

“Talking about Babar Azam, he was a skilled player, but in the face of a lean patch, he started charging the ball harder, which made his shot selection really tough,” he said.

“He never gets played on; he always gets troubled tinkering with the ball going away from him. He is literally failing to decide which ball to hit or leave. The entire problem in his batting lies here only,” he further added.

READ: Former chief selector opens up on dealing with ‘stubborn’ Babar Azam

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif expressed optimism about the possibility of India visiting Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 after the election of Jay Shah as the new Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled in the February-March window, will be hosted by Pakistan. However, India’s participation in the tournament is still uncertain due to the political tensions between the neighbouring countries.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) representatives, on numerous occasions, said the Federal government will decide to send their national men’s team to Pakistan.

Meanwhile, on 27 August, Jay Shah, who was serving as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary, was elected unopposed as the ICC Chairman.

During a discussion on his YouTube channel, Rashid Latif mentioned that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chose not to challenge Shah’s election, which seems like a deliberate strategy to ensure India’s visit to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“PCB has not opposed Shah’s appointment for a reason. I think there’s an understanding. If India’s team comes, it will be because of Jay Shah’s efforts, along with support from their government,” Rashid said.

“Approval has already been halfway granted. India is coming to Pakistan,” the former captain predicted.

Remember, reports emerged in Indian media, citing a source from the BCCI, that the Indian team will not be visiting Pakistan for the upcoming ICC event.

Further reports claimed that the board has formally proposed Dubai and Sri Lanka as potential venues for hosting India’s matches.

Previously, India refused to travel to Pakistan to participate in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023. As a result, the continental event was held in a hybrid model with Sri Lanka stepping in as a co-host.

It is worth noting that India has not travelled to Pakistan since the Asia Cup in 2008 due to the long-standing political tensions between the two neighbouring countries.

READ: Abrar Ahmed joins Pakistan squad for second Bangladesh Test

Former captain Rashid Latif has expressed disappointment over the declining pace of Pakistan’s fast bowlers after their humiliating Test defeat against Bangladesh.

Pakistan suffered their first-ever defeat against Bangladesh in Tests when they succumbed to a 10-wicket defeat in the opening Test of the two-match series, underway in Rawalpindi.

Following the defeat, several strategies came under question; such as going with an all-pace attack, declaration and batting failure in the second innings.

Pakistan, after being put into bat first, accumulated 448/6 and declared their first innings in the dying minutes of the second day. Bangladesh, in response, piled up a mammoth total of 565, courtesy of Mushfiqur Rahim’s marathon 191-run knock, before bundling out in the third session of the fourth day.

The first Test was assumed to be heading towards a draw but Pakistan’s batting lineup faltered against Bangladesh’s spinners on the final day and could score 146, setting the visitors a meagre 30-run target.

Rashid Latif expressed that in the past, Pakistan was a dominant force in cricket when playing at home and could easily overpower teams like Bangladesh. However, the recent performances are barely a shadow of the past.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“There were days when defeats against a team like Bangladesh would rankle, and shock us. We were a formidable team and it was not easy to beat us. In 2003, they came close to beating us thrice in three Tests. We ended up winning the series 3-0. The aura of invincibility at home is gone. We have lost five in the last nine games at home,” said the former wicketkeeper while talking to Cricbuzz.

Rashid then criticized Pakistan’s pace bowlers, describing their below-par performance as a significant factor contributing to the team’s defeat.

“The world knows that pace used to be our strength but our top fast bowlers no longer bowl at breakneck pace. It was the root cause of the defeat [against Bangladesh],” he added.

“Their speeds have come down drastically. If they are carrying injuries, they should reveal that. Shaheen (Afridi), Naseem (Shah), and Khurram (Shahzad) started off with a pace of 145. They all have come down to 130.”

The former captain also put the blame on the team’s support staff for the management of pace bowlers. He cited examples of England’s Jofra Archer and India’s Jasprit Bumrah, who came back stronger from injuries, unlike Pakistan’s pace bowlers

“Our trainers and physios are to blame. If you look at a Jofra Archer, he comes back after two years of hiatus but does not lose a yard in his pace. Same with Jasprit Bumrah — he comes back from an operation and bowls with the same velocity,” he further added.

“Why are our bowlers slowing down? Obviously, our support staff is not doing a proper job. A bowler of 144 kph speed has come down to 128 kph.”

READ: PCB chief Naqvi laments lack of “tools for surgery” of Pakistan team

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has lamented the lack of progress of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) compared with other leagues.

Following Pakistan’s early exit from the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024, former cricketers have urged for bringing major changes in Pakistan cricket including the domestic circuit.

In a recent interview, Rashid Latif mentioned a major difference between cricketing set-ups in Pakistan and India, saying that the neighbouring country developed its cricket as a business while the sport remains a hobby in Pakistan.

“India, just like their film industry, developed a cricket industry. We treat cricket as a hobby that’s why we couldn’t turn it into a business. PSL is still there from where it had started. The highest salary cap is $140,000. Why can’t they push it further? Why can’t we have players like Mitchell Starc or Pat Cummins? Because we do not have the money so there is no business,” he added.

According to Rashid Latif, India has continuously worked on its grassroots cricket and hired prominent coaches to groom young players.

“It’s not that India became a reckoning force in world cricket recently, after the World Cup. Go back to 2007, 2011, 2015. They have gained so much knowledge from the foreign coaches and at the same time, they are working at the grassroots level without being noticed,” the former captain said.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“And then IPL came into play. And now, they have all the best minds with them. They have Ponting with DC, Hussey, and Bravo.” he added.

Rashid Latif also highlighted the slow progress of the PSL and the failure of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to attract top international players.

“People who conceptualised PSL were thrown out within a year. They had a vision to expand it but it never happened. BPL has more foreign players than PSL. Moeen Ali is there, and so is David Miller, just because they have the money. We couldn’t progress,” he added.

Last month, India won their second T20 World Cup after the Rohit Sharma-led side defeated South Africa by seven runs in Barbados.

Pakistan, on the other hand, have not won an ICC title since the 2017 Champions Trophy. They were eliminated from the T20 World Cup in the group stage after they lost two out of their four games.

READ: Misbah-ul-Haq calls for evaluation of Babar Azam’s performance

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has criticised the national team’s white-ball captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan for their batting approach in T20I cricket.

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been a mainstay of Pakistan’s top order in the shorter format, however, they often criticised for their strike rates, especially in the powerplay

Rashid Latif, while talking on his YouTube channel, urged Babar and Rizwan to follow the examples of Indian captain Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli, who recently guided their team to the T20 World Cup glory.

“I would give examples of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to show how they changed themselves. Rohit has changed himself 190 degrees; change is possible because he has become a role model. His IPL strike rate used to be 130-140, but this year it went up to 160. He changed himself. Virat Kohli did the same thing. If these two batters can change, then anyone can,” stated Latif.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The former captain suggested that Pakistan batters should be given a specific time period to change their batting approach, otherwise they should be dropped.

“I would give Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan 5 matches to change their batting approach in T20Is, and if they won’t, then there should be no place in the team for them,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention that the Babar Azam-led Pakistan team were knocked out from the group stage of the T20 World Cup, majorly because of their upset defeat against the USA, followed by a gut-wrenching defeat against arch-rivals India.

The back-to-back defeats had put Pakistan on the verge of an early exit from the tournament while the abandonment of the crucial group-stage fixture between the USA and Ireland officially marked the end of their campaign in T20 World Cup 2024.

READ: PCB chairman opens up on Babar Azam’s future as captain

Former Pakistan Test cricketer Rashid Latif came out in support of young wicketkeeper batter Azam Khan, who has been under criticism for his below-par performances.

Azam, who has been a regular part of the Pakistan team since the away T20I series against Ireland, has been struggling to make an impact both with the bat and behind the wickets.

His series of poor performances drew severe criticism from fans and also from notable former cricketers.

As a result, Azam Khan deleted all of his Instagram posts on June 3.

Meanwhile, coming to his aid, Rashid Latif stated that the young wicketkeeper does not deserve to be treated this way.

“He is under immense pressure. He is being body-shamed, is being trolled. Azam is an exceptional batsman in T20s,” said Rashid.

“He is a clean hitter, plays spinners well, has worked on his game against the pacers. I feel bad for the kid, he is only 25. He doesn’t deserve to be trolled like this,” he added.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Azam Khan, who made his T20I debut for Pakistan in 2021, has only managed just 88 runs in 12 innings at an average of just 9.78 with the best score of 30 not out which came against the second T20I against Ireland last month.

Earlier this month, Rashid Latif advised Pakistan’s white-ball captain Babar Azam to assign Mohammad Rizwan with gloves behind the stump instead of Azam Khan.

“One of the biggest issues being faced by Pakistan is the Azam Khan’s wicketkeeping. The team has two wicketkeepers, Usman Khan and Muhammad Rizwan. Babar Azam should go with Mohammad Rizwan for the wicket-keeping slot as he is the most senior,” Rashid Latif said after Pakistan’s defeat against England in the T20I series.

“Pakistan are not getting their combination right, which is their biggest problem. Not only shuffle, but players need to be prepared to play at floating roles now in T20 cricket as per the match situation,” Rahid Latif added.

READ: Rohit Sharma achieves multiple T20I milestones against Ireland

Former Pakistan Test cricketer Rashid Latif shared a piece of advice for Pakistan’s white-ball captain Babar Azam ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to run from June 1 to 29 in the United States of America (USA) and the West Indies.

Rashid Latif, a former wicketkeeper himself, advised Babar Azam to assign Mohammad Rizwan with gloves behind the stump.

“One of the biggest issues being faced by Pakistan is the Azam Khan’s wicketkeeping. The team has two wicketkeepers, Usman Khan and Muhammad Rizwan. Babar Azam should go with Mohammad Rizwan for the wicket-keeping slot as he is the most senior,” Rashid Latif said after Pakistan’s defeat against England in the T20I series.

He said that Muhammad Rizwan had been keeping the wicket for the last four years but he was suddenly removed.

“Pakistan are not getting their combination right, which is their biggest problem. Not only shuffle, but players need to be prepared to play at floating roles now in T20 cricket as per the match situation,” Rahid Latif added.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The former skipper said that the captain of any team needs a wicketkeeper’s advice the most.

“Myself and Moin Khan have done wicketkeeping in many matches and used to oversee the match from behind the wicket. If the man standing behind the stumps (wicketkeeper) starts dropping catches, how would he advice the captain,” he added.

Rashid Latif also criticised the management for changing the opening pair, saying that first, they broke the pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan then the spinners were changed and now Rizwan is removed from the wicketkeeping role.

It is pertinent to mention here that wicketkeeper Azam Khan did not have the best of the series against England either with the bat or with the gloves.

He dropped catches and could not score big and since then he has been criticized by former cricketers.

READ: Misbah-ul-Haq reveals his top two teams for T20 World Cup 2024

Former Pakistan Test cricketer Rashid Latif commented on Imad Wasim’s shocking decision to hang his boots from international cricket.

Imad Wasim’s decision to retire from international cricket did not go well with Rashid Latif, who stated that the all-rounder should reverse his decision.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The former wicketkeeper said the all-rounder is Pakistan’s best spin bowler and a handy batter and also that the country will suffer in next year’s ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

“Imad Wasim should reconsider his retirement decision. He is Pakistan’s best spinner and can be very helpful in batting as well. If the team’s most effective player isn’t in the World Cup, it’s not just Imad’s loss, it’s Pakistan’s loss,” Rashid wrote.

Rashid Latif emphasized that players who wish to participate in leagues should be released from their central contract, while still remaining available for the national team.

“Mohammad Hafeez should strive to bring Imad back. If leagues need to be played, consider separation from the central contract, but keep yourself available for the Pakistan team,” he concluded by tagging Hafeez and chief selector Wahab Riaz.

For the unversed, Imad Wasim stunned the cricket fans on Friday when he announced to retire from international cricket through a social media post.

“In recent days have been doing a lot of thinking about my international career and have come to the conclusion that now is the right time for me to announce my retirement from international cricket.

“I would like to thank the PCB for all their support over the years it has truly been an honour to represent Pakistan. Each of my 121 appearances across the ODI and T201 formats was a dream come true.

pic.twitter.com/RdEesK9qsl

— Imad Wasim (@simadwasim) November 24, 2023

Imad Wasim extended his well wishes for Pakistan cricket and also thanked his fans for their support.

“It’s an exciting time for Pakistan cricket going forwards with new coaches and leadership incoming. I wish all involved every success and look forward to watching the team excel.

“Thank you to the Pakistan fans for always supporting me with such passion. A final thank you to my family and friends who have been so important in helping me achieve at the highest level.

“Now, [I] look forward to focussing on the next stage of my playing career away from the international stage.

Notably, Imad Wasim, who made his international debut in 2015, represented Pakistan in 66 T20Is and 55 ODIs.

He scored 1,472 runs across formats with the help of six half-centuries.

He was part of the Pakistan side that won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017.

His last appearance for Pakistan, however, was in April this year in the home T20I series against New Zealand.

READ: Shan Masood hits ton on Day one of scenario-based practice match

KARACHI: Rashid Latif termed Mohammad Rizwan’s appointment as Pakistan’s vice-captain “not justifiable” and instead backed Sarfaraz Ahmed for the role for the two-match away Test series against Sri Lanka.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday, named a strong 16-member squad for the two-match series against Sri Lanka which saw the return of ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi to Test after a one-year hiatus.

The squad also featured young batter Mohammad Huraira and all-rounder Aamer Jamal, who impressed the selectors with brilliant performances in the domestic circuit and Pakistan Shaheens’ tour of Zimbabwe.

Commenting on the recently-announced squad, Rashid Latif expressed displeasure on the appointment of Mohammad Rizwan as the vice-captain and asserted that Sarfaraz Ahmed would be a much more liable candidate for the role.

“Sarfaraz is the kind of player they [PCB] could have named the vice-captain on this tour. He is capable. He made a comeback after Rizwan’s drop in form. Sarfaraz will be part of the playing XI due to his previous performance, so retaining Rizwan as vice-captain is not justifiable,” said Rashid Latif said on the YouTube channel Caught Behind.

“I think Babar should be captain in all formats. However, don’t give anyone undue favour. If there is anyone else deserving of a leadership role in Tests, then that person is Sarfaraz and no one else,” he added.

Notably, a dip in Mohammad Rizwan’s form in Tests paved the way for Sarfaraz Ahmed to make his return to the national side after a gap of almost three years.

The former Pakistan captain grasped the opportunity with both hands as he scored three back-to-back fifties before smashing a gritty fourth-inning century in the second Test against New Zealand.

Sarfaraz Ahmed’s fighting knock lifted Pakistan to secure a draw against New Zealand and also from facing another home series defeat. He was named the player of the series for his sensational run with the bat.

READ: Spain snatch Nations League glory on penalties against Croatia 

LAHORE: Former Pakistan Test cricketers Javed Miandad and Rashid Latif gave lectures in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Level 3 Coaching Course here on Friday.

According to the details, the ICC Coaching Course is underway here at the National High-Performance Centre where two legendary cricketers of Pakistan participated and shared valuable tips with the participants.

Legendary batter Miandad shared valuable information regarding batting coaching with the participants, while former captain Latif lectured on wicketkeeping coaching.

It is pertinent to mention that numerous former cricketers including Imran Farhat, Taufeeq Umar, Zulfiqar Babar and Mohammad Yousuf were among the participants in the ongoing Coaching Course.

READ: ‘Great guy who does great things for football’ Ronaldo praises Messi