Miandad made batting adviser after Pakistan defeats
CRICKET: KARACHI, Aug 15, 2009 - Pakistan appointed former captain
and batting legend Javed Miandad as batting adviser to the national team
following recent heavy defeats to Sri Lanka, an official said Thursday.
The appointment of the 51-year-old came after Pakistan's humiliating
2-0 defeat in Tests and 3-2 loss in the one-day series in Sri Lanka,
results which were blamed on Pakistan's performance with the bat.
Pakistan finished the tour with a 52-run win in the Twenty20 match
against Sri Lanka on Wednesday.
"We have requested Miandad help our team's batting before next
month's Champions Trophy in South Africa and take care of (the team's)
problems," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt told a press
conference.
Needing 97 to win on the fourth day of the first Test in Galle,
Pakistan then suffered a dramatic collapse, losing eight wickets to
crash to a 50-run defeat.
In the second Test they found themselves in a commanding position of
285-1 only to throw away nine wickets for a paltry 35 runs, handing Sri
Lanka a seven-wicket victory.
Miandad is regarded as one of Pakistan's greatest batsmen, scoring
8832 runs in 124 Tests - still a Pakistan record - and 7381 runs in 233
one-day internationals.
He is also director general of the PCB and sits on the PCB Governing
Board.
"We had batting failures and I will be meeting each and every player
here on Friday," said Butt.
"I will then brief the media about the causes of the defeats."
AFP
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