I'm willing to take advice on captaincy – Yousuf
The Pakistan captain conceded that leadership may have affected his output, but insisted that he would like to continue as captain
Osman Samiuddin in Hobart18-Jan-2010
Mohammad Yousuf: “I have just started it and have only done six Tests so far and the circumstances I took it up in, nobody wanted to do it”•Getty Images
Five of Mohammad Yousuf’s nine Tests as captain have been againstAustralia in Australia. Each one of them has been lost and the latestdefeat in Hobart, to seal yet another whitewash – Australia have four 3-0series wins on the trot now against Pakistan – is demoralising enough forthe inevitable movement to begin in Pakistan demanding his removal.Though Yousuf has been an amiable, well-liked leader of his men off thefield on this tour, his on-field captaincy has led to much criticism,particularly in its essential defensiveness; his timid tactics on thefourth morning at the SCG was the worst embodiment of it, allowingAustralia to sneak in and win a seemingly lost Test.Yousuf’s batting returns as captain have been poor; he averages under 34,with a solitary hundred in nine Tests. In this series, where much hasdepended on him, he hasn’t scored big, averaging less than 30 and makingjust one fifty in six innings. He conceded that leadership may haveaffected his output, but insisted that he would like to continue ascaptain.”Maybe [it has affected my batting]. I have good form but I don’t know, Iam just not making runs,” he said. “I’ve been in better form on this tour than in my last two tours but just not making enough runs. I enjoy my job and I wouldlike to keep doing it. I am trying to do it sincerely. Maybe my captaincyis affecting my batting. Maybe. There is a lot of pressure on me, to speakto batsmen and bowlers, but somebody has to do the captaincy. I have juststarted it and have only done six Tests so far and the circumstances Itook it up in, nobody wanted to do it. I have done ok I think.”I am a new captain and captains are not born. It takes time. I am willingto take help from anyone. They say I made mistakes. I probably did, forsure. It can happen. But tell me what to do, and then if I don’t learn oram not listening, then criticise me. I am ready, I will speak to anyoneabout it.”Right through the series Yousuf has insisted that expectations about hisside – “young and inexperienced” – have to be realistic, even if thisAustralia side was beatable, more so than past sides this decade.Australia, he said, were still the top side in cricket but bigger nameshave come in the past and returned vanquished.”Australia looked a beatable side people say, but what about ours, howbeatable did we look?” Yousuf asked. “We could’ve been better than them inSydney but the pressure got to us. We’ve been bowled out chasing 120before with bigger names in the team, like against South Africa inFaisalabad [in 1997-98]. That had such big names in it, you name me onehere, in this side.”What happened to past Pakistan teams here? Yes Australia was strong butwe were strong as well back then. Think of the names we have had, thebiggest names in Pakistan cricket, who have been part of losses here:Wasim, Waqar, Inzamam, Saeed Anwar, Shoaib, Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, AzharMahmood, Abdul Razzaq, Moin Khan.”Pakistan’s next Test assignment will be Australia again, but this time inEngland in July this year, for what is a two-Test ‘home’ series. Thingsmight change by then, but patience and a few changes in the side mightmake for brighter prospects, said Yousuf.”If we are honest, all of us stakeholders, if we put together an honestteam, we can have a good team. It will take time. It took India time aswell, a lot of time. We can make this side better. We are weak in a fewareas. We lost the series and are disappointed. But the way they played, ayoung side, inexperienced, I am happy with that.”