Former Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who recently stepped down as a national selector, has raised concerns over the different treatment given to foreign and local coaches in Pakistan cricket.
Misbah, who offered his resignation as a national selector after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued a notice to the selection committee following the major shake-up in the national team during the England tour, said foreign coaches are given greater authority and face less scrutiny than their local counterparts.
“It is a fact that local and foreign coaches are treated differently in Pakistan cricket. Local coaches have to face more scrutiny and criticism when compared to foreign coaches,” Misbah said on a television show.
“I don’t think there is anything wrong in having foreign coaches but what bothers me is we (fans, critics, media, PCB) tend to have a soft corner for foreign coaches,” he added.
Misbah further pointed out that foreign coaches are often given greater authority and responsibility, while local coaches are subjected to greater criticism when results do not go their way.
“We tend to give foreign coaches more authority and power and he is held less responsible if the team performs poorly. In contrast, local coaches always facing scrutiny from everyone,” Misbah said.
The former Pakistan captain also called for greater support for local coaches and criticised the growing tendency to target players after a poor run of form. According to Misbah, constant criticism can affect players mentally and make it difficult for them to regain their confidence.
He also stressed the need for Pakistan cricket to show greater consistency and patience instead of making sudden decisions under pressure.
“It becomes very difficult for our players to regain form and confidence,” he said.
Misbah added that Pakistan’s biggest problem is the lack of a long-term approach and urged the PCB to avoid making decisions simply to respond to immediate pressure.
“We shouldn’t panic and do cosmetic surgery because of pressure. We need to analyse performances and the situation and then decide how to move forward,” Misbah said.
“Unfortunately we are used to taking reactive decisions in Pakistan cricket.”
His comments come after the PCB made sweeping changes to the Pakistan squad following the team’s 194-run defeat to England at Lord’s, a result that sealed the three-match Test series 2-0 in favour of the hosts.
The board dropped seven players from the touring squad and also released head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul ahead of the third and final Test at Edgbaston. The selectors were also asked to explain the criteria behind the selection of players such as Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan, who were subsequently dropped.
Misbah also pointed to India’s development over the years, arguing that the Indian cricket system benefited from patience, planning and gradual investment rather than frequent changes.
He cited the examples of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli while explaining how Indian cricket had developed a stronger system and produced players capable of handling pressure at the highest level.
Misbah said India’s progress was also linked to greater exposure for its players and stronger professional and mental preparation.
“Our youngsters are playing too much white-ball cricket and their exposure to red-ball cricket is limited. Not enough four-day cricket. This means they have more chances of cracking under pressure.”
He added that India had taken time to build its cricketing structure and that Pakistan needed to follow a similar long-term approach rather than look for immediate solutions.
“India took time to process and develop and they made gradual investments in their system after the 90s. There is no quick fix to the system.”
