'When you are on good terms with the captain then the coach gets angry' - Abdur Rehman

[K Shehzad]

Former Pakistan off-spin bowler Abdur Rehman has put his weight behind pacer Junaid Khan's statements regarding having better terms with the captain inviting the wrath of the coach and having cordial relations with the coach creating tensions with the captain while talking about the preferences and issues while playing at the highest level.

“Being a yes-man for the captain has benefits and drawbacks. When you are on good terms with the captain then the coach gets angry. He [Junaid Khan] was very accurate. A lot depends on the likes or dislikes of those involved. If the coach likes you then the captain won’t. Then one tries to take the player out because either he doesn’t like him or the player in question doesn’t spend time with him,” Rehman was quoted as saying by CricketPakistan.

Abdur Rehman retired from international cricket in 2018 but remained active in domestic cricket after bringing the curtain down on his international career. He turned out for Pakistan in 22 Tests, 31 one-day internationals, and eight T20Is, taking 140 wickets across all formats.

Looking back at his career and culture inside the dressing room, Rehman shed light on how performances are overlooked and personal likes and dislikes take precedence. He said this kind of policy is not a good omen for Pakistan cricket.

“They start hating the player. They don’t see how important a player is for Pakistan. They don’t look at performances or anything else then. All his previous performances or his career is forgotten and attempts are made to get the player out of the side.

"Whoever it is, until the player is out of the side, the person who doesn’t like him won’t be at peace. This is not good for Pakistan or the players. This is Pakistan’s team and not a team of the coach or captain,” he remarked.

Rehman believes that it's crucial for the team's cause to have seasoned campaigners Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik in the side for the World Cup. Having vast experience and captaincy stints in the past, both veterans could benefit Pakistan according to the former Test cricketer.

“The World Cup is a massive event. If you fill a team with youngsters, you can have some problems. They need some seniors who can advise players during crunch situations. Shoaib Malik is available and plays the PSL along with other leagues and performs well. Hafeez is also available,” he said.

“You need two or three players like these who can lead the captain in the middle since these players have captained Pakistan and in World Cups as well. Playing around seniors can help develop the team. There are a lot of chances for young cricketers in the future to play. If two or three senior players play in the World Cup instead of youngsters then it won’t make that big of a difference. This can only be beneficial to Pakistan. If they perform well then we can actually win the World Cup,” he concluded.

The Sialkot-born made his domestic debut in 1997-98 for Habib Bank and made his international debut in 2006 against West Indies.