Pakistan pace ace and Kolkata Knight Riders' player Shoaib Akhtar blamed coach John Buchanan for the Shah Rukh Khan-owned team's debacle in the second edition of the Indian Premier League, which concluded in South Africa on Sunday.
Pakistan pace ace and Kolkata Knight Riders' player Shoaib Akhtar blamed coach John Buchanan for the Shah Rukh Khan-owned team's debacle in the second edition of the Indian Premier League, which concluded in South Africa on Sunday.
Pakistani players were not allowed to figure in the extravaganza due to frosty relationsu00a0 between India and Pakistan after last November's Mumbai terror attacks.
KKR did not make it to the semi-finals. "It is disappointing to see the team fare badly but I think coach John Buchanan didn't set the right tone by insisting on his four captains theory before the tournament," Shoaib said.
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"You can't have different captains. You must have one clear leader in the team and I thought Sourav Ganguly did well last season," he added.
Too many changesThe controversial fast bowler, who will be missing from Pakistan's squad for the World T20 event in England, also blamed constant changes in the team for KKR's inconsistent performances.
"The players need to have a captain they look up to and they must be sure of their places in the side," Shoaib said.
However, he backed KKR to make a strong comeback next season. "It (comeback) is possible and I am sure we will see changes at the helm of affairs for next season," he said.
Meanwhile, paceman Umar Gul, who also wore KKR colours last season, attributed the team's disappointing performance to captain Brendon McCullum's failure to score big runs.
"I think he came under pressure. Any team that does well always has a captain who leads from the front and is focused," said Gul, KKR's leading wicket-taker last year.
Publicly, Pakistani players are careful with their words while discussing KKR's performance but privately most of them agree that Shah Rukh must keep faith in the team and make changes in the management starting by changing the coach and support staff.
"One thing is clear: if Buchanan was such a great coach, KKR would have done well. It just proves that he was fortunate to have a great Australian team to manage," a player said.
