Pakistan's coach Aaqib aims for settled team combination ahead of ICC Champions Trophy

Pakistan cricket team's interim white-ball head coach Aaqib Javed on Wednesday said that he is confident about ensuring that the team performs consistently, adding the best combination will be settled for the ICC Champions Trophy which will be hosted by Pakistan in February-March next year.

“Our main focus is on ODIs and Champions Trophy. You will InshaAllah see consistency and the team composition will also be settled,” Aaqib told reporters here at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Asked will he also work as selector, Aaqib said: “As you know when selection committee was restructured it was their responsibility to build such a team which could yield results. We beat England in the Test series and then we downed Australia in the ODI series after 22 years when no one expected that."

“I think positive working has been done relating to selection and results have been produced. The interim responsibility which I have got is not new as I have been coaching for the last 20 years and we will try to deliver,” he said.

Aaqib also hinted at Fakhar Zaman’s comeback while saying that the left-hander is a match winner and for the last few years he has delivered for Pakistan.

“He was passing through some fitness issues and we are in contact with him and, when he will become fit, definitely selection committee will consider him and you will see him back in action,” he said.

Aaqib made it clear that coach and captain are always consulted before the selection committee announces the squad.

“I don’t think there is any such issue. Our objective is to constitute the best XI from the available lot in order to deliver,” he said.

“In T20 you will see enough changes. We try to give chances to the new players in such situation when you have lost the series or won it. If you look at the Zimbabwe series, key players have been rested in the two teams which we have picked and a message has been conveyed to the new players to avail the opportunities,” he said.

Importance of strike-rate and assessing conditions

Aaqib also highlighted that assessing the conditions is as important as the strike-rate.

“When we talk about strike rate, it varies. In the last T20 World Cup, 120 was a winning total in the US. It depends on the conditions. If Australia are getting out on 148 in their home conditions, then of course it will also be difficult for Pakistan’s batters. Your strike rate is not important, but reading the conditions is. More than strike rate, I think taking responsibility and having an awareness of the situation is something we need to focus on more,” he said.

About settling a spin-bowing options for the Champions Trophy, Aaqib said: “For the last few years there has been no effective spin option in the middle overs with Pakistan. And that is why we are giving chances to new players and will also include old options in order to fix Pakistan’s spin issues,” he said.

Aaqib, 52, had a mixed fortune while serving as Lahore Qalandars’ head coach. The most notable franchise under him lifted two successive titles besides having shown below-par performances in a few seasons, also including the last one.

Pakistan’s white-ball teams head coach issue emerged last month when former South African opener Gary Kirsten resigned just days before the national team’s departure for Australia for a three-match ODI and three-match T20 series.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) shouldered the responsibility to red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie. On the Australia’s tour although Pakistan won the ODI series 2-1, the first time in the last 22 years on the Australia’s soil but the side, featuring a few inexperienced players, failed to deliver in the T20 series which Australia won 3-0.

The other day the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi revealed that Aaqib has been made interim head coach of the white-ball teams until the ICC Champions Trophy which Pakistan is going to host in February-March 2025.

Pakistan are scheduled to play three ODIs and three T20Is against Zimbabwe at the latter’s backyard from November 24 to December 5 before they will embark on a tour of South Africa where the national team will play two Tests, three ODI and three T20 matches.

Pakistan will then host West Indies in two Test-match series from January 16-28 before hosting South Africa and New Zealand in the triangular series just before the Champions Trophy.

Aaqib, as a medium pacer, took 182 wickets in 163 ODIs and 54 wickets in 22 Tests he played in between 1988 to 1998.