By IANS
Lahore : Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has said Geoff Lawson’s lack of experience as a coach was one of the reasons for Pakistan’s Test and One-Day International series defeats in India recently.
“(Captain Shoaib) Malik is young, learning and needs strong support. Unfortunately, Lawson is new to international cricket and is in a learning phase. Malik needs someone experienced to back and support him,” Inzamam was quoted as saying in the Dawn Monday.
Inzamam, who has just returned home after playing in the Indian Cricket League, said former Sri Lanka and Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore would have been a better option to replace Bob Woolmer, who died under mysterious circumstances in a Jamaican hotel after Pakistan’s last match in the 2007 World Cup.
“I don’t know what the PCB’s (Pakistan Cricket Board) thinking was while appointing Lawson and ignoring someone experienced like Whatmore,” he said.
Whatmore later joined Director Operations at the Bangalore-based National Cricket Academy.
Pakistan lost the three-match Test series 0-1 and the ODI series 2-3.
Inzamam said it was unfair to expect too much from Malik as he is raw at captaincy.
“I think we need to be patient with Malik and give him reasonable time to adjust to his new role as captain,” he said.
“Captaining side in Twenty20 cricket and Test matches are two totally different things and Malik will learn that with time.”
Inzamam also blamed the team management for Pakistan’s poor performance in India as they allowed players to indulge in non-cricketing activities.
“Players were focusing too much on social and cultural activities in India, affecting their cricket,” he said.
“There is nothing wrong in taking part in such activities. But they must not forget that they went there to play cricket and that was their foremost duty.”
Mailk’s team became the first team in almost 28 years to lose a Test series after Asiaf Iqbal’s side had lost 0-2 in 1979-80.