Waqar resigns as Pakistan coach

Waqar Younis has resigned as head coach of Pakistan on Monday after his team's early exit from the World Twenty20 tournament in India.

Pakistan registered a victory against Bangladesh but suffered heavy defeats to India, New Zealand and Australia.

"I am resigning from my post today with a heavy heart," Waqar told reporters in Lahore.

He also said that his recommendations to the Pakistan Cricket Board were never implemented, referring to a report written in the wake of the WT20 that was leaked and published around the world.

It was Waqar’s second stint as coach of Pakistan, having been appointed to the helm in 2014 after a stint in the job in 2010-11.

He led the Pakistan Test team to number two in the official rankings in 2015, but could not drive success in the limited overs formats with Pakistan also failing to reach the semi-finals of the 2015 ODI World Cup.

Waqar leaves with Pakistan ranked seventh and eighth in Twenty20 and one-day internationals respectively.

In his leaked report, Younis criticised the PCB and the captaincy of Shahid Afridi during the WT20

"We lost to New Zealand, Asia Cup and the World T20 due to poor captaincy. Over several occasions, I had made it clear that Shahid Afridi was not performing with the bat, ball or as a captain but I was not listened to," he said.

"I had made a lot of recommendations after the 2015 World Cup, including sending some boys back to first-class cricket for at least a season so they can regain their hunger for the game and rethink their approach and attitude to play for Pakistan, but no recommendation was implemented."

READ: Afridi announces he's stepping down

On Sunday, Afridi stepped down as Pakistan's T20 captain but vowed to continue as a player.

March 31: Wasim fears for Pakistan's future

Legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram believes Pakistan's Super 10s exit from the ICC World T20 is a reflection of an outdated first-class system and a board that isn't fully committed to seeing Pakistan cricket prosper. 

Pakistan won only one of their four matches – a 55-run win against Bangladesh in Kolkata – and crashed out after three heavy defeats to miss the semi-final stage for the second-straight tournament.

Wasim, who is in India commentating with Star Sports, said he was not surprised by Pakistan's poor performance which he believed had been on the radar for a number of years. 

"Whatever happened in this T20 World Cup for Pakistan it was writing on the wall," Akram told cricket.com.au in Mumbai.

"They didn't see it four years ago (when Pakistan made the semi-finals in Sri Lanka) but it was meant to happen.

"Our first-class structure is down the drain, nobody puts money in there, nobody's bothering.

"And they want to win World Cups – you can't win World Cups like this, I'm sorry.

"It's a tournament. A team prepares itself for three to four years; they plan, they prepare, they pick the right combination.

"But we just go by our instinct and go 'OK, there's a World Cup next month, hopefully we'll win'. That's what we do in Pakistan."

Quick Single: History repeats for Pakistan

Wasim, a proud and passionate Pakistani who played 104 Tests and captained his country 134 times in five-day and 50-over cricket, said it "hurts" watching his side fail on the global stage.

"You go to a World Cup and I'm a commentator and I'm a Pakistani and want Pakistan team to do well," he said.

"Winning (the World T20) would be the icing on the cake, but at least qualify for the semis. Of course it hurts. Big time.

"Not just to me but every Pakistani. It doesn't matter if you're living in Pakistan or living abroad, it hurts."

Quick Single: Pakistan's pain at self-inflicted wounds

The issues facing Pakistan cricket start at the top, according to Wasim.

Following the early exit from the World T20, Pakistan coach and Wasim's former new-ball partner, Waqar Younis, submitted a six-page report to the Pakistan Cricket Board on his two years as coach and made a series of recommendations to move forward.

Within 24 hours the report, which criticised the attitude of captain Shahid Afridi, the fitness of the squad and suggested players be educated in the importance of maintaining dressing-room confidentiality, was out in the open.

When asked what he would do if he could implement change to Pakistan cricket, the Wasim said: "First of all I would put people who have passion, who want to do well for the country and who can keep a secret a secret.

"That's the start," the 49-year-old continued. "The Pakistan coach … supposedly has given a confidential report (to the PCB) on the state of Pakistan, on the state of affairs and cricketers … (but) it was out (in the public) the next day.

"If the top level have a mentality like this, leaking news like this, imagine what the players go through.

"You can't have people in cricket boards who will leak confidential reports in the matter of a day, maybe three hours.

"That shows the trust nobody has. Not everyone on the (PCB) but certain people I don't think want Pakistan cricket to do well."

But Wasim stopped short of wanting to join the PCB in any official role.

"I'm fine where I am in life," he said. "Unless the mindset of the cricket board changes, one person – chairman or coach or captain – you can change them, fine, but they're not going to make a difference.

"Our mindset and cricket is 10 years behind world cricket. That's what it is."

Quick Single: Wasim shot at in Karachi

While the introduction of the Pakistan Super League was met with an incredible television audience and was considered a success by the PCB chairman Najam Sethi, Wasim said the triumph would not translate into performances on the field in the short term.

"The PSL will give you players after three, four years," he said. "People were expecting that after PSL shake-up everybody will be fine. No it won't.

"Our coaching is also 10 years behind. Our fielding levels are 10 years behind world cricket. That is why we are where we are."

Sethi hopes to host the opening and closing matches of the PSL hosted in Pakistan next season.

Pakistan hosted Zimbabwe for a limited-overs series last May, the first international cricket played on home soil since the 2009 militant attacks on the touring Sri Lanka team in Lahore. That series aside, all 'home' matches have played on neutral turf, in the United Arab Emirates.

It's with a heavy heart Wasim talks about the loss of international cricket in his home country.

"When I played, I could see my heroes playing in front of me. Now these boys, youngsters, can only see them on television," he said.

"That's a big, big tragedy for Pakistan cricket and to Pakistan. My hope is it comes to Pakistan at some stage, but let's see."