Ironic it may be, but this is a fact: not all great players can become good coaches and vice versa, not all great coaches were necessarily good players!
Coaching is different from playing. A good coach needs to have a good eye to spot the talent, at the right time. Then the coach needs to create the best environments, plans and opportunity to players. The most critical part is to see his charges grow to become utility players of our great game.
One good and successful coach in Pakistan has been Mohammad Masroor. He has been so successful that it seems he has Midas touch to his coaching. The team he takes turns into a winning outfit.
One good and successful coach in Pakistan has been Mohammad Masroor. He has been so successful that it seems he has Midas touch to his coaching. The team he takes turns into a winning outfit.
But Pakistan is a country where, if you achieve success with consistency, success not only breeds success, but also jealousy. You tend to get disliked by the powers that be, as regular mention of your name irks the bosses. This has happened to Masroor and despite his tremendous success at junior level he finds himself ignored.
Masroor has had a not a notable career as a first class player. As a modest Karachi batsman he managed 2418 runs in 55 matches spread from 1995-2009. He did show signs of a talented batsman with three hundreds, twice featured for Karachi the Quaid-e-Azam trophy final. Under the more illustrious Moin Khan he was part of the Karachi team that won the trophy in 2001-02.
On the other occasion Karachi lost the final to Lahore that also had Wasim Akram and Abdul Razzaq playing for the winners.
After not being able to make it big as a cricketer, Masroor turned to coaching. He was assistant coach to Taimoor Khan (Peshawar) for the one-day and twenty20 series with Australia in 2015 and also in the return series in Australia. Pakistan won both and there started a good rapport between the players and the personnel.
At the domestic level Masroor guided the Karachi Under-16 teams to three consecutive titles and as many Under-19 triumphs. He was also the coach for the Under-13 which finished as runner-up at the national level.
Recently Masroor coached Sindh to trophy triumph in the Pentangular Under-19 event in Lahore and not only his team won but played a key role in highlighting a talented Punjab fast bowler.
The story goes that Mohammad Abrar was sidelined by Punjab after playing one match. Masroor spotted him bowling in NCA in Lahore and found him full of energy and potential. Masroor asked junior selector Basit Ali to allow the neglected bowler to play for Sindh. After getting his permission Masroor took the bowler in his wings and used him to an effect that director cricket, Haroon Rasheed praised the bowler in some very kind words. That amplified Masroor’s eye for talent.
Masroor was unlucky not to take Pakistan Under-19 to at least in the final when he had the team under his coaching in 2016. Pakistan showed signs of a good team by winning the tri-series against Australia and New Zealand in UAE prior to the Junior World Cup. Australia had Greg Chappell and Graeme Hick in their personnel but Masroor stood tall.
It was sheer bad luck that Pakistan fell at the quarter-final stages of the World Cup held in Bangladesh. It was the adamant Zakir Khan who as manager and head of the delegation forced Masroor to bat first against the West Indies. Masroor had judged the pitch well and wanted to field first.
In the end batting first proved fatal for Pakistan and the West Indies went on to win the trophy. Pakistan had to be contended with a fifth place, admirably beating a formidable England in the play-off.
Masroor, who has done level1 and 2 as coach and waiting for his level 3 results, had all the basics of a good coach. He communicates well with his charges, helps them learn the sport in an interactive manner, imparts the bits and byte of the sport in an engaging manner.
At the domestic level Masroor guided the Karachi Under-16 teams to three consecutive titles and as many Under-19 triumphs. He was also the coach for the Under-13 which finished as runner-up at the national level.
One wonderful way about him – and a number of his charges have confirmed that before me – is that he ensures to be realistic and kind in communication. His strong attribute is that he helps learners overcome the fear of falling and tries to inculcate a solid grip of the game.
Other strong point of Masroor is that tries to impart confidence in learners so that before they actually play, they know they are up for it. Most importantly, Masroor enjoys a great feedback and review each and every of his player.
You can easily notice that young players adjusted with him. The Under-16 team was coming from Australia when we bumped into the them and each and every player was jovial, sharing their experiences in Australia and how the team management helped them.
Besides a rich experience at the national level, Masroor was groomed in England. He captained and coached the Alder Club in England. That was a rich experience for him. Once former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif entered Karachi Kings family he instantly inducted Masroor in the franchise as fielding coach.
More importantly Masroor has polished a number of talented players. His product includes Shadab Khan who is making waves at the international level. It was Masroor who used Shadab as a top order batsman in the 2016 World Cup. Mohammad Asghar, Ghulam Mudassar, Saud Shakil, Hassan Khan, Mohammad Taha and Sameen Gul are some of his other products.
It would be befitting that Pakistan make full use of Masroor’s abilities. He needs to be used with various age groups, from Under 13 to Under 19. He is a selfless worker and can groom quality players in the age group cricket. Masroor really has a Midas Touch in his coaching.