Only a bunch of opening batsmen have been able to make a mark in recent years according to statistical analysis and Indian Rohit Sharma and Australian David Warner are a couple of them who have been able to score big apart from the English openers.

Pakistan has not succeeded in finding fixed openers who can perform consistently on the international level.

Shan Masood believes that one big reason for it is that players like Sharma, Warner, Jason Roy, and Jonny Bairstow were given enough opportunities at the top and the ‘fear of failure’ was therefore not a big concern.

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Masood said in a PCB video conference, “There is fear of failure which is human nature. They got security over a long time. The England team started with a plan in 2015 and got result in 2019 (by winning the World Cup). They stuck to a core of players. Consistency is very important. We need to accept defeat if we have to set a goal like that. As a nation we focus on short-term goals. Instant results cannot be the way to groom players.”

“Also these cricketers you named got the advantage of home cricket. We never got that. This is for the first time we got. We don’t get to play that often also. For box office players you need consistency. We need to build players for a four-year period,” he added.

He also gave insights about how the national selector-cum-coach Misbah-ul-Haq is prioritizing fitness even during the lockdown and how it will help the cricketers to create a legacy for themselves once international cricket is back on.

“Misbah bhai is trying to bring in new culture. Fitness is being given a lot of importance. During this lockdown also players are being worked on. A lot of things is being done. Also culture is there...camaraderie is there among players and I hope as soon as cricket resumes we can carve out a legacy for ourselves. We hope to make a mark,” he said.

(With inputs from IANS)