A Silent “What more” by the Unbeaten Mohsin Khan - Opinion
56-year-old, Mohsin Hassan Khan, a former right-handed batsman, who made his debut against West Indies in a One Day International match at Albion on March 16, 1977, played in 48 Tests and 75 ODIs with a batting average of 37.10 and 26.81 respectively. He
was an opening batsman, and the first Pakistani who made a double-hundred in a Test at Lord's.
Appointed in March 2010 (alongside Waqar Younis, who became the head coach), as chief selector of the side during their turbulent times. Pakistan cricket was at an all time low, shrouded with allegations, penalties and disastrous performances (notably the
tour down under, which saw the Men in Green lose all the fixtures).
August 2011 saw Waqar step down (which according to many was due to his clashes with Shahid Afridi). Mohsin was presented with another challenge when he was asked to fill in the shoes of the outgoing head coach, a task not made any easier, given the limited
resources at his disposal.
The newly appointed coach decided to opt for youngsters, also backed the veterans in a bid to restructure the side and usher a new phase of Pakistani cricket.
Mohsin’s decisions saw the Pakistani side resurge under the captaincy of Misbah ul Haq, aided by fresh talents such as Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal, Aizaz Cheema and Junaid Khan. The Men in Green performed beyond expectations in their contests against
New Zealand, West Indies, Zimbabwe and Ireland.
Although many credit Mohsin for the recent resurgence, but Misbah’s efforts cannot be downplayed. The ageing skipper took the reins amidst immense pressure (especially filling in the shoes of the popular Afridi). His solid, stoic knocks (facing much criticism
from fans and former cricketers) are testament to his temperament, which undoubtedly has been one of the major factors in keeping the side together and focused.
However, with the past behind them, and the side improving all the time (recently white-washing the World’s top test side), the dilemma now, is whether to continue with Mohsin, or to appoint a new, ‘proper’ coach. The PCB is definitely considering candidates
for the position, which is questionable, given the team’s ongoing successful run under the current management.
It is quite probable that Mohsin will be replaced by a regular Head Coach, one of the candidates for which is the 57-year-old Davenell Whatmore. It is as if the Pakistan Cricket Board did not expect Mohsin to achieve success, given his lack of training as
a coach, and for them, he was merely a temporary replacement for Waqar.
In comparison with Mohsin, Whatmore, who played for Australia in the late 1970s and early 1980s, is regarded as one of the most successful coaches in International Cricket (having guided Sri Lanka to the World Cup title in 1996). Opting for a willing Whatmore
is the most logical choice, given his expertise in the field, but the question remains whether Mohsin deserves to be removed? He boasts consecutive victories against full members of the ICC.
"What Mohsin Khan is today is because of Pakistan and Pakistan cricket. My services are always there for my country but I don’t want anybody to take me for granted. People were saying that performing well against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh was nothing great,
okay agreed, but to perform against England, whether they are No. 1 or not, is always creditable." said Khan, when asked about his views on the impending appointment.
It is now up to the newly appointed PCB Chairman, Zaka Ashraf, to make the right choice, because his decision will dictate the future of Pakistani cricket.
Be it for better or for worse.