Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke was left incredibly frustrated by his side’s lack of ruthlessness in the final third in their defeat to Burnley on Saturday.

After the match, the German head coach noted that his team had more “possession, shots, big chances, xG” than the Clarets in their Premier League clash, but they came away from Turf Moor with no points to show for their efforts.

The statistics in the table above show that Farke was right about the level of chances that his team created throughout the match, but they failed to score a single goal from 2.63 xG and four ‘big chances’.

Brenden Aaronson, arguably, missed the biggest chance of the match when he raced through on goal to fire his shot almost straight at Martin Dubravka, who produced the save.

Jayden Bogle, Jack Harrison, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin also missed opportunities to find the back of the net, as the home side scored two goals from four shots in the entire game.

It is hard not to feel a little bit sorry for Farke from an offensive perspective, as the players the board have left him with do not look clinical enough for this level.

Why Farke is not to blame for Leeds United's attacking problems

It can be easy to use outcome bias to pin all the blame on the manager when a team loses a game. Sometimes the manager is to blame because the coaching or the tactics lead to a poor performance that gives the players little chance of picking up a result.

However, Farke put out a team with a structure and a style that created three times as many ‘big chances’ as the opposition, and roughly five times as much xG, but it was the players at his disposal that let him down.

Football Insider reported last month that the head coach wanted two more attacking signings in the summer, Harry Wilson and Manor Solomon, but the club did not land either of them.

As you can see in the table above, Leeds rank within the top eight teams in the league for ‘big chances’ created, but they also rank fourth for misses.

They have missed a staggering 14 of the 17 ‘big chances’ that they have created, which is why Farke should not be blamed for the lack of potency in the final third, because his system has been one of the most effective in the league.

Calvert-Lewin, who has scored one Premier League goal, is one of the players who has let him down. The former England international has missed the most ‘big chances’ in the team (five), per Sofascore, and ranks third in the division for ‘big chances’ missed.

The summer signing from Everton has not stepped up and delivered enough quality in front of goal, which has left Farke in a difficult position without the signings that he wanted the club to make in the forward areas.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

The former Norwich and Borussia Monchengladbach head coach has been let down by the options he has in the first-team, which means that he may have to look to the academy.

Leeds United are brewing a potential upgrade on Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the form of 17-year-old centre-forward Harry Gray, who has excelled at youth level.

Why Harry Gray may be an upgrade on Dominic Calvert-Lewin

The teenage striker is currently out with a hip injury and is expected to be back in training next week, and he should be given a chance to impress once he is back up to speed.

There is no guarantee that Gray will be able to handle the step up to the Premier League as a 17-year-old striker, which is why it is harsh to judge Farke if he decides against such a risk, but his form at youth level suggests that he has the potential to be a breakout star.

The English striker scored four goals in four Premier League 2 matches before picking up a hip injury, per Transfermarkt, whilst he also notched a hat-trick against Scunthorpe in the National League Cup.

Gray, who was described as “seriously talented” by analyst Ben Mattinson, also scored eight goals in 11 matches for the U18s in the 2024/25 campaign, per Transfermarkt.

This means that the teenage marksman, who made his first-team debut against Stoke in the Championship last term, has delivered goals on a consistent basis at U18 and U21 level over the past 14 months or so.

As you can see in the table above, Calvert-Lewin’s form for Everton in the four seasons before his move to Elland Road does not suggest that he is likely to turn his current form around in front of goal.

He has consistently underperformed as a finisher in the Premier League, which is why it is not a surprise that he has missed five ‘big chances’ and only scored one goal for Leeds so far.

Gray, meanwhile, has been a lethal goalscorer who has found the back of the net week-in-week-out at two different age groups at academy level in the last two seasons for the Whites.

His impressive goalscoring rate for the U18s and U21s suggests that the club are brewing an upgrade on Calvert-Lewin, who has struggled to score goals on a consistent basis for most of his career, but it remains to be seen if he can make the step up in the short-term.

Worse than Struijk: Farke must drop Leeds dud who's "never going to push on"

Daniel Farke must drop this Leeds United flop who was even worse than Pascal Struijk against Burnley.

1

By
Dan Emery

Oct 19, 2025

The club’s current struggles in front of goal in the Premier League mean that Farke may have to fast-track his development and throw him in at the deep end once he is back from injury.

After he emerged as an early candidate to take the job, sources have shared Scott Brown’s stance on replacing Brendan Rodgers in the Celtic dugout.

Chris Sutton names "obvious choice" for Celtic

Rodgers shock exit has sparked several rumours as to who could arrive to replace the veteran manager. Many expected the former Leicester City boss to leave at the end of his contract next summer, but the Bhoys have now been left with no choice but to replace him several months early following his resignation.

Already eight points behind unexpected leaders Hearts in the Scottish Premiership after suffering a 3-1 defeat against Derek McInnes’ side on Sunday, Celtic must get their next permanent appointment right.

On that front, one name that has already been mentioned is Ange Postecoglou. Having initially hired Rodgers to replace the Australian in 2023, Celtic could re-hire Postecoglou to come full-circle in a decision that Chris Sutton would certainly back.

The Celtic legend told Sky Sports: “I think Ange Postecoglou would be a really smart appointment. He was loved the first time round.

“His brand of football went down well in Glasgow. He’s out of work. I think that would be a pretty obvious choice, a good choice and bring a lot of positivity back to Celtic, which they need right now.”

The 60-year-old arguably needs the Bhoys just as much as they need him these days following a disastrous 39-day spell in charge of Nottingham Forest. After being sacked twice by two Premier League clubs in the last year though, it remains to be seen whether he’ll make such a swift return.

“Shambles” – Sutton names the 3 ways Celtic were poor against Hearts

The Bhoys were defeated in Edinburgh today to cap another dismal day at the office.

BySean Markus Clifford Oct 26, 2025

It may be too soon for Postecoglou and the same may be said for ex-player Scott Brown, who also knows Celtic incredibly well.

Celtic job would come too soon for Scott Brown

Among the early candidates for the job has also been Scott Brown. The legendary midfielder has been perfecting his craft as a manager since 2022 and is now in charge of Ayr United. According to PA Media sources, however, the Celtic job would reportedly be coming too soon for Brown.

“The former Celtic captain is seen as a long-term candidate, but is still learning his trade as a manager with Ayr following a spell at Fleetwood. The 40-year-old led Ayr to the William Hill Championship play-offs last season and has them third in the table. Given the instability around the club, squad and league position, the timing does not look ideal for the former Scotland midfielder.”

For any young manager, especially those more inexperienced, the Celtic job would represent an incredible risk. The Bhoys need the stability that O’Neill could first lay the foundations for and an option like Postecoglou could provide. As things stand, they cannot afford to take a gamble on Brown, who should continue to learn his trade at Ayr United.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após contar com o Allianz Parque na semifinal e na grande final do Paulistão 2024, o Palmeiras se prepara para retornar para a Arena Barueri nesta noite de quarta-feira (17).

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➡️ Siga o Lance! Palmeiras no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Verdão

O Verdão conta com um ótimo aproveitamento no estádio onde vai encarar o Internacional, em jogo válido pela 2ª rodada do Brasileirão 2024.

Em cinco jogos na Arena Barueri nesta temporada, o Palmeiras tem quatro vitórias e um empate, em partidas todas válidas pelo Paulistão.

O Verdão está invicto em Barueri há sete partidas e conta com um ótimo retrospecto atuando na sua ‘segunda casa’, em 39 jogos, foram 25 vitórias, 8 empates, 6 derrotas, 73 gols marcados e 31 gols sofridos.

Na temporada de 2023, o clube também precisou visitar a Arena Barueri na reta final do Brasileirão, e só saiu derrotado do clássico contra o Santos, inclusive ganhando do Internacional por 3 a 0.

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➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta!

Apesar de ter o Allianz Parque para o jogão contra o Flamengo no próximo domingo (21), o Palmeiras voltará para Barueri para encarar o Athletico-PR e o Vasco, pela sexta e oitava rodada do Brasileirão 2024.

As Brandon Woodruff took the mound for the Brewers on Wednesday, he faced a different kind of pressure than on a typical start. Not the heat of building on the league's best record or their division lead over the Cubs, but the opportunity to win hundreds of thousands of free burgers for the people of Wisconsin from the chain George Webb.

George Webb, the founder of the beloved Wisconsin restaurant chain, would famously predict back when Milwaukee only had a minor league team that it would win 12 straight games, and was believed to have declared that if the local team won 12 consecutive games, they would give away free burgers. His son, Jim Webb, would later make the deal official in 1970.

The Brewers came to close to winning free burgers earlier this season when they had an 11-game winning streak from July 6 to July 21, but lost the 12th game 1–0 to the Mariners. They have won free burgers for fans twice, in 1987 and 2018.

With a third opportunity to win free burgers on the line, Woodruff delivered. The two-time All-Star pitched four scoreless innings as Milwaukee got off to a 6–0 lead. The Pirates made things interesting after Woodruff exited, putting up five runs in the fifth and sixth innings, but the Brewers offense responded with six more runs and won 12–5.

“It's awesome. I was telling my wife last night I was more nervous, I wanted to win the burgers for everybody in the stands, including myself," Woodruff told reporters after the game. "It was fun, it's a cool thing. You could tell the energy around today on a day game was a little bit more than usual. Seriously, I wanted to win those burgers bad.”

The Brewers and the fans can celebrate with their free burgers, which will be given out on a date the restaurant plans to announce on Thursday. They can also celebrate a team that not just came through on the free burgers, but holds a league-best 76–44 record as the final month of the season approaches. No team is playing better than the Brewers, who can set their sights on going after their first World Series title.

تمكن فريق ليفربول، بقيادة المدرب آرني سلوت، من تحقيق فوز مثير على خصمه فريق إنتر ميلان، مساء يوم الثلاثاء في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، موسم 2025/26.

واستضاف ملعب “سان سيرو” مباراة فريقي ليفربول وإنتر ميلان، في الجولة السادسة من مرحلة الدوري من دوري أبطال أوروبا، حيث حقق الريدز فوزًا بهدف دون رد.

جاء ذلك الفوز في ظل فترة عصيبة يمر بها ليفربول، ليس فقط لسوء النتائج مؤخرًا، ولكن كذلك بسبب التصريحات النارية التي أدلى بها محمد صلاح، النجم المصري، يوم السبت الماضي ضد إدارة النادي والمدرب آرني سلوت.

اقرأ أيضًا.. آرني سلوت يجيب: هل يعيد محمد صلاح لتشكيل ليفربول من جديد؟

ونتيجة لذلك، قرر آرني سلوت استبعاد محمد صلاح من قائمة ليفربول لمباراة إنتر ميلان، حيث لم يسافر رفقة زملائه إلى إيطاليا.

وعقب المباراة، حرصت جماهير ليفربول على إظهار دعمها الكامل لـ آرني سلوت، وسط التكهنات المنتشرة حول مستقبله مؤخرًا وتأثير تصريحات محمد صلاح على دعم الإدارة تجاهه.

وأظهرت جماهير ليفربول، التي تواجدت في ملعب “سان سيرو”، مؤازرتها لـ سلوت، وظلت تهتف باسمه بصوت صاخب، في لفتة مميزة من جانب مشجعي بطل الدوري الإنجليزي.

The travelling Kop chant Arne Slot’s name after the final whistle inside San Siro. Huge win for the Dutchman. pic.twitter.com/h2ClbQ04nv — James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) December 9, 2025

Aaron Boone called upon relief pitcher Fernando Cruz to get the Yankees out of a bases-loaded jam against the Red Sox on Tuesday night—and he did just that, leading to quite the fired-up reaction.

After taking over for starter Carlos Rodón in the top of the seventh with runners on first and second, Cruz retired three of the four Boston batters he faced—finishing the frame by forcing Trevor Story into a pop out to deep center field.

The inning-closing out had Cruz understandably fired up. Take a look at how he celebrated:

Boone's decision to leave his starter in Rodón in the game for as long as he did nearly backfired, but Cruz saved his manager's you-know-what. One question remains, however. Where'd his hat go?!

The Yankees and Red Sox are tied 3–3 in Game 2 as they enter the ninth inning from the Bronx. The winner of the American League wild-card series will move onto the divisional round, where they'll take on the Blue Jays.

This weekend is arguably the biggest in Thomas Frank’s tenure as Tottenham Hotspur manager, when he leads his side out against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

The Dane has yet to get his first taste of the North London Derby, but he will be looking to get one over Mikel Arteta and secure bragging rights for the Lilywhites faithful.

Such a fixture is huge for supporters, with the meeting between the two clubs one of the first dates they look for upon fixture release day, before a ball is kicked.

However, it’s been a game that the white side of North London have often come out on the losing side away from home – subsequently winning just one of their last 32 encounters.

If Frank’s side are to write themselves into the history books, they will desperately need to keep one player quiet throughout the clash at the Emirates.

The threat Bukayo Saka poses to Spurs this weekend

Bukayo Saka may ply his trade for Arsenal, but he’s cemented himself as one of the Premier League’s most threatening attackers over the last couple of years.

The Englishman has managed to register over 20 combined goals and assists in all competitions in each of the last three years – often providing the difference in such a fixture.

He’s often popped up with the goods in attacking areas, as seen by his record against the Lilywhites since his senior debut back in the 2020/21 campaign.

Saka has featured on ten occasions against Spurs throughout his professional career, racking up a total of five goals – subsequently finding the net in 50% of his outings in such a clash.

He’s also popped up with various assists in the North London Derby, with his corner to Gabriel securing the Gunners all three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last campaign.

It’s evident that the winger possesses serious quality, often coming alive on Derby Day, with Frank and his squad desperately needing to silence him on Sunday afternoon.

However, he too could unleash his own version of the Englishman at the Emirates, with the Lilywhites star potentially able to inflict serious trouble on Arteta’s men.

The Spurs star who’s becoming their answer to Saka

Players such as Saka don’t come around very often, and when they do, they cost a pretty penny – many of which undoubtedly cost a small fortune in the modern-day.

Whilst Spurs are unlikely to pay over the odds for top-level talents, they have invested heavily into the frontline over recent years – as seen by their deal to land Brennan Johnson.

The hierarchy forked out a reported £47.5m for the Welshman’s signature back in the summer of 2023, with the attacker showcasing his talents in North London last campaign.

He registered a total of 18 goals across all competitions last season, the highest of any player in the squad, often starring off the right-hand side of the club’s attack.

However, he’s fallen down the pecking order in recent months, which has resulted in various options being considered within the forward line in the capital.

Mathys Tel joined the Lilywhites on a permanent basis during the summer window, with the Frenchman costing a total of £27m from German side Bayern Munich.

The 20-year-old is capable of operating off the left-hand side or even as a centre-forward, with Frank able to rely upon the youngster in a variety of different positions.

When operating on the left, he’s able to cut inside and onto his favoured foot – something which Saka has made a name for himself for in England’s top-flight.

His similarities to the Englishman are also reflected in his shot on target accuracy, with Tel matching the winger with his tally of placing 33% of his efforts between the posts.

The Frenchman has previously impressed in his professional career, but has transferred his skills over to the Premier League, as seen by his tally of two goals in the league this season.

Games played

8

Goals scored

2

Shot on target accuracy

33%

Pass accuracy

73%

Dribble success

50%

Long ball success

83%

Aerials won

1.2

Mins per goal

124.5

Tel’s efforts in attacking areas have led to huge praise from numerous outlets, with Bayern Chairman Herbert Hainer labelling him “one of the biggest talents in Europe”.

However, he will need consistent first-team minutes to reach the heights many have touted him to, with Frank needing to trust him in the near future to reap the rewards.

He’s shown that he’s capable of producing the goods in attacking areas, potentially able to provide the difference in the clash against the Gunners on Sunday.

Tel has proven he’s able to be the club’s answer to Saka, but it remains to be seen if the manager will show faith in him to allow the youngster to continue on his upward trajectory.

Spurs must sell "one of the worst signings in PL history" to fund Semenyo

Tottenham Hotspur must sell one player if they are to land Antoine Semenyo in January.

1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 20, 2025

Welcome to 'Ask Jimmy,' where SI Media writer Jimmy Traina will answer one question about a burning topic from the sports media world.

A balls and strikes challenge system is finally coming to Major League Baseball. After being used for several years in the minor leagues, the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System will be featured in the big leagues beginning next season. Each team will get two challenges per game when it comes to balls and strikes, which will be retained if successful.

This is nothing but a positive for the sport. You can’t have games decided on missed calls by the home plate umpire and this is a way to fix that.

The only downside is that I wish teams were allotted more than two challenges per game from the start. I’d give teams four or five challenges per game. Even if you think home plate umpires do a great job, they’re still going to miss a handful of calls in each game. Why not implement a system in order to rectify that?

If your argument against the ABS challenge system is that it will slow down the game, think again. 

Baseball has done a great job of speeding up the game by instituting the pitch clock. The challenge system won’t have a significant effect on the length of games.

Via MLB: In 288 games with the ABS Challenge System during Spring Training 2025, there were an average of 4.1 challenges per game. Those challenges took an average of 13.8 seconds. 

Adding on a minute to each game to get important calls correct is a no-brainer. 

Baseball already has instant replay, so adding another layer to have balls and strikes challenged seems like a natural progression. 

Think about how history would have changed if ABS was around in 1998 when the Yankees got this gift from the home plate umpire.

You just can’t miss a call like that in a World Series game.

The only downside in my view is that this will limit the number of player explosions when a home plate umpire gets a call wrong. Now, instead of throwing their helmet or slamming their bats, a batter will simply tap his head to call for replay. 

Seven from Asian teams figure in a well-balanced XI, complete with three top allrounders

Sreshth Shah in Potchefstroom11-Feb-2020Yashasvi Jaiswal (India)
Five 50-plus scores in the tournament – including a hundred in India’s semi-final win over Pakistan – Jaiswal was by far the most consistent batsman going around. He displayed a solid defence and showed that he becomes more and more fluent the longer he stays in the middle. As a useful add-on, he can bowl a few quick overs too.Ibrahim Zadran (Afghanistan)
The 73* against South Africa in the seventh-place playoff was his best innings, but even outside of it, the Afghanistan Test opener was the rock that almost always led the way in giving the bowlers something to play with. Afghanistan were at their best when Zadran batted long and became the pivot around which the others did their stuff.ESPNcricinfo LtdMahmudul Hasan Joy (Bangladesh)
He really made it count in the semi-final against New Zealand, where his 100 took Bangladesh to their maiden final, which they went on to win. Quite often, he played the role of the anchor, holding the middle-order together, after starting the tournament slowly.Akhil Kumar (Canada)
Kumar finished joint second on the list of highest wicket-takers, his medium-pace bowling accounting for 16 wickets, but he was also Canada’s dependable top-order batsman. In the tournament’s official fantasy cricket system, he had the most points entering the final, before being overtaken by Jaiswal and Ravi Bishnoi. His four-for rocked South Africa in the group stage while his three-for created a flutter in the Zimbabwe ranks in the playoffs, and his 3 for 37 and 37 with the bat helped Canada finish 13th with a win over UAE.Akbar Ali (Bangladesh – captain, wicketkeeper)
He didn’t need to do much with the bat before the final, but when the onus was on him, he delivered, and how. His captaincy and wicketkeeping had been impressive already, and in the final against India, with his team in a hole at 65 for 4, Ali showed the way, and led Bangladesh to the title with an unbeaten 43.Dan Mousley showed off his range of shots•ICC via GettyDan Mousley (England)
The team’s floater, Mousley first struck a 44-ball 51 from No. 7 against Australia, in a game they lost in a thrilling finish. He then opened the batting against Sri Lanka in the Plate final and scored a fluent 111. In between, he crunched a 36-ball 57 against Japan. If he had opened from the start of the tournament, England’s tournament might have been different.Nyeem Young (West Indies)
Two Player-of-the-Match awards in two tough group games made everyone sit up and take notice of Young. Against Australia, the allrounder struck a patient 61 during a testing period to win his team a close game. Then, against England, he hammered a quick 66, leaving a few windows broken in Kimberley while doing so, and followed it up with 5 for 45 – perhaps the best all-round effort of the competition. He played a big role in his team staying unbeaten all the way to the quarter-finals, where they lost.Kristian Clarke (New Zealand)
Clarke took seven wickets in four games, including a four-for against West Indies in the quarter-final, but what he did with the bat in that game stood out more. His unbeaten 46* from No. 10 rescued New Zealand from certain defeat as they eked out a two-wicket win. Earlier, in what was a crucial group-stage game against Sri Lanka, he was the man of the moment again, hitting a six in the final over to knock their opponents out.Shafiqullah Ghafari takes off in celebration•Getty ImagesShafiqullah Ghafari (Afghanistan)
Ten of his 16 wickets came against one team. In the tournament opener, Ghafari lit up the stage with 4 for 15 to defeat South Africa. After that, South Africa won every game, until they met Afghanistan in the seventh-place playoff. There he ran through South Africa again, conceding 15 runs again but this time for six wickets. In between, his 5 for 23 floored UAE in the group stage.Ravi Bishnoi (India)
The tournament’s highest wicket-taker with 17 strikes, and a close contender for Player of the Tournament, Bishnoi certainly made a big splash. Even if you take the legspinner’s 4 for 5 against Japan out of the equation, every time he came in to bowl, you felt a wicket was around the corner. Importantly, he did well in high-pressure matches: four crucial wickets in the middle overs against New Zealand to help India finish group toppers, 2 for 46 in the win over Pakistan in the semi-final, and then, when he nearly won India the final with 4 for 30 against Bangladesh. In between, there was the crucial 30 with the bat against Australia in the quarter-final.Kartik Tyagi (India)
Tyagi was among the wickets in each India game except the final, when he was wayward. But, whenever he had the ball in his hands, you had to save your toes because his yorkers were so accurate. One of the tournament’s fastest bowlers – he hurt Japan with 3 for 10 and was on the money against Pakistan in the semi-final where he collected two important wickets for only 32 runs. But he will remember the Australia game the best – his three wickets in his first two overs pretty much set up India’s victory.

Director of PCB’s High Performance Centre speaks about the problems in the previous structure, and his plans

Umar Farooq04-Jun-2020Why merge domestic cricket and the old NCA into this new HPC?
Basically, the two are related departments. You develop players at one place and test them in terms of performance at domestic cricket, which becomes a feeder to the international team. There have long been chronic problems of the system missing out on many players, which have been the subject of extensive debate. There was a system in place but it was a disjointed one. A number of Under-19 players have disappeared without getting a proper chance in first-class cricket and that’s a worry. There has been no coordination between the NCA and domestic operations; they were working in different directions. So the idea is to merge both departments so that we can properly regulate players and make sure they do no slip out of the system.Then why not improve that coordination rather than bring in this new centre?
With the restructuring of domestic cricket last year, all teams are regulated by the PCB and by themselves. There are no private teams – like departments – anymore with their own parallel production line. So with everybody on one page now, this was the best time to merge it all under one umbrella. We want this model to be more relevant than before and better connected. When you identify and develop a player, the HPC will now make sure he will play in first-class cricket and doesn’t wait and disappear. The HPC will keep a thorough eye on the progress of a player in the system. It’s easier to manage a pipeline and ultimately we need better performers and players to represent the country. That is the main purpose.What are your major plans?
The long-term plan is to form a national framework starting from the Under-13 circuit. Picking players on the basis of technical, tactical, mental, physical attributes and profiling them better. Their progress at the local level will be recorded and a detailed plan will be created for their development.The mid-term plan is to pick a set of players for the next Under-19 World Cup and get them ready for the next World Cup. During the recent Under-19 World Cup, our team wasn’t prepared enough as compared to the other better teams. We need to start preparing at least one-and-a-half years in advance with one dedicated set up and one direction. There is a gap and it’s not just at the age-group cricket, but it is there between our first-class and the international team as well. The whole lot moves on to the next level with that same gap and those limitations. The problem is at the developmental level. So first we need to toughen up that process.Getty ImagesWe will prepare the players so that at the senior level, there is proper competition and they feel it. That competition will test their ability and enhance them. So going forward, players won’t feel a sudden steep rise at the next stage. Players who are not reaching benchmarks will be washed out of the system and those passing through with distinction will make their way ahead. This HPC won’t allow mediocrity. Fitness, discipline, lifestyle, performance, it has to be there in a player. Nobody is going to go up to the next level until all boxes are ticked.We will have a close relationship with the national chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq. We are not going to influence the selection but make sure we have a readymade production line available all the time. For instance, if Misbah comes to us and asks for a batsman for South African conditions who plays well square of the wicket or asks for a seam bowler, that’s our job to have an answer with the best option.From where will the players come into the HPC?
From the [provincial] associations as I am not in favour of open trials. So many players get in the system – not very talented – and then become a part of the production line. When you have open trials at Under-13 level, you get tons of kids selected and many are undeserving. That is an unfair system, to be honest. There are other good players you miss out on. So that is the basic problem, where the pipeline is leaking. The kids picked up are not competitive and, unfortunately, they go on to play Under-13, Under-16 and Under-19 and even first-class cricket. So this area needs to be carefully protected. It’s tough but at some stage we have to stop undeserving players making their way into the system. Due to Covid-19, this is probably is not going to happen this year, but the HPC will make sure that kids entering in the system are on the basis of merit and competition.For all this, you need coaches with strong credentials. Do you think you have enough of them at your disposal?
We do have good coaches but there is a need to work on changing the thought process of coaches. In Pakistan, it’s more coach-centric and not really about the player. Professional players have a dependent mindset and this is why we lack consistency. There are times when you have to take a decision in seconds, but there is a mental block because players don’t really understand the game… they are just playing it. Their mental growth is at some stage tested because the coaching style has made players just hit 100 balls in nets without understanding the perspective of the player. Instead, they need to ask the player what they want. It is not always about weaknesses, it’s about enhancing a strength as well. You can never fully eradicate your weakness but you negotiate it and see how you can work it out.If a player is naturally talented, coaches should help him enhancing [his skills] rather than dictating their terms to make it unnatural. So the growth of a player should be on the terms of his natural ability, and not changing it. A player’s thought process needs to be encouraged; make them aware about the game; they need to speak up how they feel about the game. So coaching attitude and manuals will also be revised and we are changing it to make it more player-centric. It’s very much needed for a players’ mental growth and allowing them to think independently when they are on their own. Players are the bosses and coaches are the helpers.