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The Pakistan men’s cricket team is currently grappling with numerous challenges, both on and off the field. Their recent performances in the last two World Cups – both in ODIs and T20Is – have been nothing short of disastrous, causing widespread discontent among the country’s cricketing community. Calls for a comprehensive restructuring of the team and its management have grown louder, as hopes for a brighter future persist amidst reports of internal discord.
In the midst of this turmoil, former captain Younis Khan fondly recalled the late Bob Woolmer, Pakistan’s former coach, suggesting that his influence could have significantly altered the course of Pakistan’s cricketing landscape.
The Pakistan cricket team faced a double blow during their disappointing stint at the 2007 ODI World Cup. Not only did they crash out in the group stages, but they also endured the tragic loss of their head coach, Woolmer, who was discovered deceased in his hotel room in Jamaica.
Younis Khan, renowned as Pakistan’s leading Test run-scorer, holds the firm belief that had Woolmer been present, the trajectory of Pakistan’s cricketing fortunes would have soared to unprecedented heights.
“I have no doubt that if Woolmer had remained head coach, Pakistan cricket would have been very different today, and he would have taken it to great heights,” he said on a Pakistani TV channel.
Younis also hinted at his disappointment regarding the inadequate support provided to the players by their authorities during the investigations following Woolmer’s tragic death.
“I was very close to Bob (Woolmer) and it was our daily routine to sit down together after a match or nets to discuss cricket. Unfortunately, the night he passed away, we didn’t sit together as we had lost to Ireland.
“I was also out for a duck and was very upset with myself. So, I went to my room and locked myself in. The next day, I didn’t see him at breakfast and later we learnt about his death,” he added.
Younis Khan revealed that Woolmer’s death and the intense pressure the players faced in the West Indies had a profound impact on his decision regarding long-term captaincy for Pakistan.
“After what all happened in the World Cup, I changed my mind and I became a reluctant captain and had no long-term tenure in mind.
“It was like a torture for us there. While I fully understand the responsibilities a player has to show as an ambassador of his country, it should be the other way round… authorities must also look after us,” he added.
