Interview with Abdul Qadir

Abdul Qadir

Question: We'll start off by discussing your cricket academy. How is the progress going and what are you future plans for this academy?

Abdul Qadir: We have made progress with our academy. Right now we are working on a T20 based project in our academy because T20 cricket has become so popular around the globe. We're going to create our own T20 team and have decided to name them The Black Tigers. Eventually, we will also create The White Tigers and have matches between the academy teams. We also intend to partner with two more cricket clubs from Lahore and have matches between the four teams so the top talent can surface. The main purpose of our academy is to polish the talents of school-age children because school level cricket is extremely important. If you have a strong foundation then you can build tall buildings without worry. We would like to partner with the schools in Lahore so we can further improve school cricket. We have the facilities in our academy to aid these programs and we would love to work with various schools. We can organize inter-school tournaments and help build strong cricket programs for these schools. We can identify young talent from these schools and put these talented players on the PCB's radar. They can be further developed at the U-10, U-15, and U-19 levels. If our plan is supported by the school system and the PCB then we can definitely produce very talented players for Pakistan.

Question: Ian Botham recently made some complimentary comments regarding your coaching style and how well you coach young players. Have the heads of the PCB ever asked you to help with coaching young players?

Abdul Qadir: I have worked with the PCB as a chief-selector for the national team but it is very unfortunate that I have been unable to coach Pakistani players despite having coached players from other countries. I'm one of the founders of cricket academies in Pakistan. I was one of the first people to run a cricket clinic in 1982 and I introduced the concept of cricket academies in the subcontinent. It's unfortunate that I haven't been able to coach players for Pakistan.

Abdul Qadir

Question: We hope that the people running the PCB realize this and are able to utilize your services.

Abdul Qadir: There are some very good cricketers that have come to me for advice. These players include, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, Muralitharan, and the list goes on. These players are a part of cricket's great history yet they have come to seek my help. These players were greater cricketers than me but they have come to me and sought tips. I'm very thankful to Allah that I've been so successful in this field and people have given me so much respect. I specialize in spin bowling but I know I can help young players in all aspects of the game.

Question: Let's dwell a bit in the past and talk about your playing career. Leg-spin bowling wasn't very common in that era and people were surprised by you inclusion in the Pakistani side. Imran Khan was the captain at the time and it was considered a very bold move. What were your views of Imran Khan as a captain?

Abdul Qadir: Imran Khan is a great name and part of the history of cricket. Imran Khan is a as great as an ocean and his importance to Pakistani cricket can never be overstated. But Imran did not bring me to the side. I had already played eight test matches before Imran Khan became captain. I had already played under Wasim Bari and Asif Iqbal before Imran became captain. Having said that, Imran was the most important person responsible for my success. He gave me respect and realized my potential long before others. I'll always be very thankful to Imran because he has done a lot for me and cricket in general.

Question: I was actually referring to ODI cricket. I thought it was Imran who had brought you into the ODI team.

Abdul Qadir: There is no doubt that I played ODI cricket under Imran's captaincy but I had to fight for my spot in the team. I had to convince Imran by bowing in the nets and playing practice matches. It was after all this that Imran finally said I should speak with the chairman of the selection committee. I was able to convince the selectors and that's how I made my ODI debut. I'm very thankful to Allah because I had immediate success in ODI cricket and I was named the man of the match in my debut ODI match, after also having won it in only my second test match. I broke some records in my debut match against New Zealand.

Question: Did the rivalry between Imran Khan and Javed Miandad have an affect on the team?

Abdul Qadir: There are some journalists out there who spread false rumours to hurt people. I was an integral part of the team and never saw Imran and Javed yelling at or fighting with each other. I can't say how they felt about each other from the inside but I never saw them displaying any anger towards one another.

Abdul Qadir

Question: You were the chief-selector in 2009 and had selected the T20 World Cup winning squad. Why did you resign in the middle of the tournament?

Abdul Qadir: This question brings me back to the journalist that I have previously mentioned. In this era people spread rumours and false news without properly verifying the facts. People these days are in such a great rush to put out breaking news that they forget or ignore to verify the facts. Everybody wants to be the first one to get the news out there. I don't understand what these people accomplish by doing such things. I resigned before the World Cup had commenced. I still have the resignation letter with me and can forward it to you if you want. I resigned on the 5th of June and the World Cup campaign started on the 7th or 8th. So how can people say that I resigned in the middle of the tournament?

Question: What I actually want to know is why did you resign? You had selected a good squad for the World Cup and had given a chance to youngsters in previous tours. What caused the resignation?

Abdul Qadir: I'll surely answer that question but I wanted to give you some background information. My resignation was accepted on the same day. I wasn't asked to continue and was simply told that it had been accepted on the same day. Mohammad Ilyas recently sent in his resignation but he was asked to continue by the chairman. The chief-selector gets the blame when the team loses and gets the praise when they win. The team that I selected went on to win the World Cup but people don’t want to give me credit. I get badmouthed for quitting in the middle of the tournament and that isn't true. It's unfortunate that undeserving people can reach great heights by doing nothing but hardworking people aren't given credit for doing something well. I really don't care about the credit. I pray five times a day and thank Allah for all I've been able to achieve.

Abdul Qadir

Question: You were doing so well. So why did you resign?

Abdul Qadir: When I first joined the board as the chief-selector, I was asked about the terms and conditions with which I will work. I had told them that I had no conditions apart from complete independence in terms of selection. I was assured of completed independence when it came to selecting players. Even Ijaz Butt told me that I shouldn't pick a player even if he himself was pushing for a certain player. Based on my contract, the chief-selector would also have the final say when it came to selecting the final XI for a match. After signing the contract I was told that I wouldn’t have any say in the playing XI. I was also told that I must have input from the captain and coach when it came to selecting a squad for any series. Ijaz Butt isn't a bad person. He has a good heart, but the people working around him have really misled him and have made him make some very poor decisions. I could have resigned a lot earlier because I was going against my principles when it came to certain points. But I didn't want to be the first one to resign because a former cricketer had finally been given a chance to work within the PCB and I didn't want to be the first one to resign. I knew that if I resigned then I would be blamed for whatever came next. But after Javed Miandad resigned it made my decision a lot easier.

Shoaib Akhtar's selection was one of the reasons for my resignation. I wanted to select Shoaib but I was strongly opposed by Yawar Saeed and Intikhab Alam. These two did not want Shoaib in the team but couldn’t come up with any valid reasons to support their argument. I remember that we were getting ready to select the team for an ODI series in the UAE. Before the team was announced there was a very tough fitness test that every player was made to go through. I knew that the test had been specially designed so Shoaib would fail and not get selected. Going by the fitness test, Shoaib was selected to be part of the tour. He was told that he would have to bowl the entire quota and also field during the entire innings. Shoaib agreed to all this and was included in the squad for the one day series. But when I reached Dubai I found out that Shoaib had been dropped from the team. I asked Intikhab Alam about Shoaib's absence and he came up with excuses such as he isn't bowling well or fielding well. I told him that this was unfair and not the proper way to deal with great players. He should have been given the entire series to prove his form and fitness. He had no reasonable excuse for dropping Shoaib and I was able to convince him to play Shoaib in the next match. That was the final match of the series and Shoaib bowled well.

After that match we were supposed to pick the T20 World Cup team. I spoke to Yawar Saeed and he too didn't want Shoaib in the team. The night before we were supposed to pick the team, I got a call from Intikhab Alam and he told me that Shoaib Akhtar had to be excluded from the team at all costs. This made it very clear that Shoaib was unwanted by Intikhab and Yawar. I told him that the selectors, coach, captain, and manager would meet in the morning to discuss the squad and they would have the opportunity to give their views in front of everyone. I told him that we should not leave out Shoaib without a valid reason. The next morning we all got together and Shoaib's name came up once again. I asked Younis Khan what his views were and he simply said that he'd be happy to play with any team that was given to him. Then I turned to Intikhab and he made it clear that Shoaib shouldn't be in the team. I asked him the reason for Shoaib's exclusion and Intikhab said that Shoaib was done and couldn't pick up wickets anymore. I told him that he had picked up two key wickets in the previous match and had bowled well. He had bowled with good pace and had also fielded the entire 50 overs.

However, Intikhab wasn't convinced and was determined to keep Shoaib out. I told him that bowling in England would be easier as he would only have to bowl 4 overs but Intikhab wouldnt listen to my argument. I told him that we needed a good bowler and he would be great for 4 overs. Intikhab and Yawar couldn’t come up with any valid reasons for keep Shoaib out so he was selected in the squad. When the team returned from the UAE there was a camp organized for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Shoaib Akhtar was unable to attend the training camp because he was dealing with some skin issues at the time. Salman Butt also missed the camp because his father was unwell. The team management did not take any action against Salman but Shoaib was once again targeted.

After learning about Shoaib's absence, Intikhab and Yawar directly contacted Ijaz Butt and brought some sort of a disciplinary charge against Shoaib and had him removed from the team. Then they selected Rao Iftikhar to replace him. This was all done with Ijaz Butt's approval. They made these two changes to the selected squad without asking me anything or even notifying me of the changes. When I heard of what had happened I spoke with my fellow selectors and informed them about what had been happening. I asked them if they were willing to resign but didn't get a strong response from them. Then I realized that I shouldn't put them in this situation and let them decide for themselves. I ended the meeting and decided to resign at that time. So basically this was why I resigned. They removed Shoaib from the team without any valid reason and also selected Ro Iftikhar without the knowledge of the selection committee so it was a decision based on principle. I didn't want to make any further compromises so the only option left was resignation.

Abdul Qadir

Question: Let's talk about one of the young players who made his debut during your tenure. Ahmed Shehzad is a very talented batsman and is rated highly by many experts including yourself. He was given an opportunity by you and did well in the ODIs against Australia, but he's been removed from the scene since your resignation. Why do you think that it?

Abdul Qadir: This is the thinking that is destroying our cricket. Ahmed Shehzad isn't related to me or a friend of mine. He's like any other young player who is trying to make it to the team. Ahmed Shehzad is extremely talented but he has to work on his attitude towards the game. I still say that he is as talented as Sachin Tendulkar. He is in great form and has been doing well in domestic T20 tournaments and the ongoing Quaid-E-Azam trophy. He did extremely well in the two day warmup match that he played against Sri Lanka before he made his debut. He showed that he can play bowlers of the calibre of Muralitharan and Mendis. Everybody has their own eye and method of judging talent. I know that a lot of people rave about Shahzaib Hasan. When Shahzaib was selected it came down to two players fighting for one spot. The other player was Khalid Latif. When I spoke to Younis Khan, he said that both of these players played in the same club as him and he knew them well. So I asked him to choose one for the T20s and he went with Shahzaib.I hadn't seen much of Shahzaib at that point. But he was selected because the captain and other selectors had recommended him. After watching him for the first time I realized that he had a lot of work to do before he could become a good player. That view still holds true today. I still think that Shahzaib needs to work very hard. He will always struggle against good bowlers and in bowling friendly conditions.

Abdul Qadir

Question: How about Ahmed Shehzad? He's very highly rated. How do you view him?

Abdul Qadir: He has been treated very poorly. He struggled in the warmup T20 matches but showed that he has the talent. He just needs to make some attitude adjustments and he can become an extremely good player for Pakistani in the future, he is that talented.

Question: The next question is about the young spinners in Pakistan. You were the chief-selector and also did some commentary for the domestic T20 tournament. Which young spinner has impressed you the most?

Abdul Qadir: When I was the chief-selector I used to go and watch every major first class match live. The selectors before me and those that have come after me had selected the squad based on stats. When I was the chief-selector I really rated Yasir Shah very highly. If I had remained the chief-selector then Yasir Shah surely would have progressed up the ladder. In the recent T20 matches there was a young spinner from Karachi that did well. I can't recall his name but he was impressive. There was another one from Hyderabad. Raza Hasan and Usman Qadir have also done very well at the U-19 level and are moving up as well.

Question: There are only a few months left before the World Cup? Who do you think the captain should be, Shahid Afridi or Younis Khan?

Abdul Qadir: Why should Younis Khan be the captain? He is an excellent Test player but I don't think he can be in the T20 team. He can play ODIs but that's it. How can you have a captain who doesn’t have a guaranteed spot in the format? Most great players are able to decide such things for themselves. Guys like Ponting, Sachin, and Dravid were able to decide which format suits them. Unfortunately, Pakistani players are unable to make such a decision. Mohammad Yousuf had said that he wouldn’t play T20 cricket or play any cricket during Ramadan. But as you saw, he played T20s recently and also played matches during Ramadan. So when senior players show such character then it's setting poor examples for young players. Players such as Younis, Yousuf, and Misbah should only play in formats that they excel in. They should voluntarily make way for young players in limited overs cricket.

Abdul Qadir

Question: So, do you think Shahid Afridi is the right choice?

Abdul Qadir: Absolutely. You have no other experienced player that can lead the team. When I was the selector I had said that I wanted two captains for Pakistan - One for limited overs and one for test matches. I also wanted two separate teams for each format. I wanted competition for each spot in the side and have strong bench strength for each position. But this idea was also thrown out the window. But I'm glad to see that guys like Waqar Younis and Afridi are adopting the concepts. Waqar has said that he wants separate teams for each format. If they had accepted my idea a few months ago we would be in a better situation. The World Cup is a few months away but there isn't any visible planning for Pakistan. Even now I made a recommendation through the media that they should hold one day matches before the World Cup so we can judge the talent. It's unfortunate that I have once again been ignored. The PCB think tank ignores all recommendations and do as they please.

Question: Who do you think Pakistan’s test captain should be? Is Younis Khan still an option?

Abdul Qadir: I believe that Pakistan’s cricketing culture should start to encourage senior cricketers to pave the way for junior players over time. Graeme Smith is a good example; he was selected as South African captain despite being younger than many others in his team and has remained in that role up to this day.

Salman Butt is the ideal leader for Pakistan; he is educated, sensible and a very good opening batsman. If the current allegations against him are lifted, I cannot see a better choice. If, however, he is unavailable for future selection, I would want the PCB to choose someone who is performing and who is a permanent member of the side and it would be better if this is done on a series-to-series basis rather than announcing a captain for a certain number of years as has been the recent policy implemented by the cricket board.

Abdul Qadir

Question: Who do you think should open for Pakistan in ODI cricket?

Abdul Qadir: Firstly, I’d like to comment that had I been a selector, I wouldn’t even think of leaving out either Kamran Akmal nor Rana Naved, who I think are both very good ODI players who give the side great balance.

Concerning batting, I have not been in favour of the relatively recent trend set by selectors of picking four openers in a squad. For example, we have recently seen Pakistani teams comprising of all of Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq. It is this sort of selection which has damaged the system within Pakistan. Bob Woolmer can be held accountable as, under his coaching, he would sometimes use Kamran Akmal as an opener and at other times send Shoaib Malik up the order.

If we look at the first-class structure in Pakistan such as the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, the domestic openers are naturally hopeful that they will get an extended run in their preferred position at the top of the order. When there is no space for them there, they play in another position by necessity and a lower order player is made into a makeshift opener. This can ruin careers and is something I consider very damaging at the grassroots level.

If I were in a position to select two players for this role in ODIs, I would include Hafeez because he fields well, has the ability to bowl ten handy overs as well as get the team off to a good start with his batting. For his partner, I would like to put the name of Younis Khan forward in the interest of balancing the side. I have always felt that a player like Fawad Alam is suited to test cricket more than limited overs cricket. In T20Is, he has been given a fair chance but clearly struggles as he cannot hit big shots when required. It is better to play him in a fifty over game rather than a twenty over game. If Alam is part of Pakistan’s future plans in ODIs, then I would like to see him coming in at one down after an experienced player like Younis can guide him and then have a more dashing batsman, possibly Umar Akmal, at number four. I think it is important to balance the team and In ODIs, you need players who can accelerate such as Akmal and Hafeez and then you have those who cushion these batsmen slotted in between like Younis, Fawad and possibly Azhar Ali if he can establish a place.

Abdul Qadir

Question: During your time as chief selector, and with your help, the legspin of ODI captain Shahid Afridi improved dramatically. Why do you think there has been a decline in his bowling in recent times?

Abdul Qadir: I have always backed Afridi and given him tremendous amounts of support. I was very vocal on TV when he was out of the side and insisted that he is a very special cricketer and should not be dropped.

When I became Chief Selector, during the announcement for the team against Sri Lanka in Karachi, I spoke to Intikhab Alam and Younis Khan and they seemed disinterested in playing Afridi. I then took the decision to leave him out of the squad so he would realise that he had to fight for his position to come back. For a while, Afridi’s performances had stagnated and he would often slog and get out early with the bat and coupled this with patches of mediocre bowling. I felt that if he took time on the sidelines and watched the rest of the team play, he would be freshly motivated to work his way back.

After being dropped, Afridi did start training - especially his bowling - and I even went to visit him one day while he was practicing at one of the local camps alongside my son, Usman. I took Shahid aside and said “I will give you such a memorable gift that, if you follow what I tell you, it will bring you five wickets against the Australians in the next ODI series inshallah”. I proceeded to show him how to bowl a googly so it would suit his particular bowling action and instilled into him that he must practice it continuously. I also gave him tips on setting good fields and bowling certain lines and lengths to outwit the batsmen as well as telling him to envisage that he was in the middle of a test match battle rather than another ODI or T20I game.

During the first game against Australia, Afridi actually exceeded my expectations and managed to take six wickets rather than five! In his Man of the Match interview he did acknowledge my advice but since then he has talked a lot about how he has learnt from watching old videos of himself. I’m a firm believer that a student should always commend his teacher. It is sad that several individuals from our country can often be thankless towards people who help them. I have observed that even overseas cricketers like Shane Warne, Anil Kumble and Muttiah Muralitharan are more forthcoming in praising those who have helped them achieve their goals. I do not feel greatly offended as I have told him information which I think will benefit the country. However, experience has taught me that legspin is a very tough art and you can never afford to rest on your laurels; I always knew that Shahid’s form wouldn’t last. Unfortunately, it appears as if Afridi is taking his bowling for granted once again and has forgotten the tips I gave him.

Question: What do you think of Danish Kaneria? Being a very experienced cricketer, he still seems to struggle in pleasing the selectors consistently.

Abdul Qadir: Expectation has sometimes been placed too heavily on Danish’s shoulders. Unless he is playing with real strike bowlers in the side such as Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis or Shoaib Akhtar, he doesn’t always handle the added responsibility and enhanced pressure well.

I always pray for Danish Kaneria to perform as I still remember seeing him for the first time at one of General Tauqir Zia’s training camps for spinners of which I was in charge. I recognised his potential immediately and after giving him pointers at the camp, I could see that he could be an asset for Pakistan cricket so forwarded a letter recommending he be selected to the cricket board.

I think Danish was extremely poorly treated on the recent tour of England by being booted out of the squad by the PCB and the attitude towards him recently with his non-selection against South Africa is not the way you go about handling your leading spin wicket taker.

Question: Pakistan’s other main spinner, Saeed Ajmal has now tasted all forms of the game at the highest level. Does he strike you as being suited as a limited over specialist or does he have the ability to succeed in test cricket?

Abdul Qadir: I’m quite clear in my mind on how Ajmal should be best utilised and that is in limited overs only. His offbreaks in test cricket and his workload in that format can be taken up by Mohammad Hafeez.

Abdul Qadir

Question: How is Pakistan’s bowling attack shaping up for the World Cup?

Abdul Qadir: I’m really impressed by two bowlers in particular: Wahab Riaz is excellent - I think he is an exciting cricketer who has huge ability; not only with the ball but also with his batting, he bowls an immaculate line. The other bowler who looks very promising is Tanvir Ahmed. Again, he has talent with the bat and he has looked very good when bowling with the added ability to move the ball both ways. I have also noted that he has a surprise ball which is quicker than his stock delivery and this can always be a useful tool in any bowler’s armoury. Both of these bowlers will be key for Pakistan’s chances in the World Cup and both have the talent to do well and register great performances.

Question: The World Cup is obviously taking place in the subcontinent; Do you have faith in Tanvir Ahmed’s ability to perform on the flatter, Asian wickets?

Abdul Qadir: I have said for some time that Pakistan has a number of lobbies who back a player of their choice over player’s who have worked hard to even be considered. If these people want to see the team do well, they need to be level headed in decision making.

Tanvir, a swing bowler by nature, should have been given an opportunity in England where the ball was moving; he could have been ideal particularly if we are to consider that he managed to take six wickets in flatter conditions in the UAE. The problem at that time was that all the talk surrounded the hype of Mohammad Irfan and how ‘Irfan is this’ or ‘Irfan is that’ and eventually Tanvir was overlooked.

I had met Irfan prior to his trip to England and spoke with him inside Wasim Bari’s room, with Bari present. Mohammad Irfan felt upbeat about his chances of making it into the national side soon so I asked him how many wickets he had taken in the season, he told me that he had forty or so. I replied that Tanvir had taken over ninety wickets and quizzed Irfan on who he thought was more worthy of a spot in the side, to which he conceded that Tanvir was more deserving. I told Irfan that he had plenty to work with and potential was certainly there but he needed to mature and hone his art in domestic cricket for a while longer to become a top wicket taker at the lower levels before he could climb the ladder. The next thing I knew was [a month later] Pakistan had called Irfan up for the England ODIs! His performances there are for all to see and prove my point.

Essentially, Tanvir was another victim of rash decision making by the board which crop up with regularity. One need not look further than the example of Khurram Manzoor who was dropped after his 77 in Australia. If any Karachi player should feel hard done by, it is him - thankfully he has now returned to the squad. Instead of clouding issues with players from who are chosen or not because they are from Lahore, Karachi or Peshawar, we must ensure that at the end of the day those who are in the team have a right to be there, and that is based on merit; Tanvir has earned that right with his bowling for some time and he is deserving of his place.

Abdul Qadir

Question: What is your assessment of your son, Usman, who also bowls legspin? He has performed well at junior levels and is currently playing in Pakistan domestic cricket, can he meet the requirements of international cricket soon?

Abdul Qadir: All I can really do for him is pray. I live in the hope that God will help him how he helped me and make him into a player like no other. I am already immensely proud of Usman, who is a Hafiz-e-Quran, as was my own father.

We always wanted one of our children to be a Hafiz and I am hugely grateful to God for giving us this blessing.

Usman had played domestic cricket and participated in one match where he had taken a hat trick against Karachi, claiming eight victims in total. Ijaz Butt was in favour of bringing him into the Pakistan A side which was to tour Australia on the basis of such a performance. Upon hearing this news, I thought otherwise and voiced my opinion to Wasim Bari; I felt that it would be favourable for my son to go up one step at a time from U19 cricket, to first-class, to A side cricket and then onto international games. I am appreciative of Bari and the board respecting my wishes.

After that, Usman has found success on a number of tours he’s been a part of. He has been highest wicket taker on trips to the West Indies, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, New Zealand and then the World Cup. Azeem Ghumman [Usman’s captain in the U19 World Cup] has told me that Ijaz Ahmed supported left arm spinner Raza Hassan. In the game against India, Raza was given a lot more overs than Usman and finished with three wickets. A similar thing happened in the final and Hassan managed to draw level with Usman’s tally who was comfortably ahead in wickets taken for a large part of that tournament as well.

He recently went to China to participate in a tournament. One thing that I am frustrated to hear is that in meetings during this tour, Sadiq Mohammad has been in conversation with the side’s captain stating that ‘Qadir’s son’ is not to play during the tournament. I was especially disappointed as I have always treated Sadiq with respect and honour in the past. Sadly, Usman was made to sit on the sidelines for the majority of these games and it was only until the team were effectively eliminated that they called him up. In this game, he still proved his worth as one of the better bowlers by taking a wicket for 24 runs from his 6 overs.

It is imperative that no senior players hold back the young talents Pakistan are producing and it is vital that these U19 cricketers get exposure on these tours and play matches over a long period of time so they can improve their game.

Question: Finally, if the opportunity arose for you to have a role within the PCB once again, would you accept it?

Abdul Qadir: At the moment, I do not have any interest to work in an official position with this cricket board. Once there is a change from the current establishment, I may be open to an offer but would like to be approached and dealt with respect.

Abdul Qadir