No representation in IPL affecting Pak cricket: Shahid Afridi

Q Some would say that you are mad to take on the job of the Pakistan cricket teams head coach What appealed to you about the roleA What appeals to me is the actual challenge of it I think its a massive challenge and I do enjoy challenges for my sins I think this is a challenge that is right up there and one where I feel like I can really make a differenceShahid Afridi during a practice session at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in March Pakistan fared poorly under the leadership of Afridi in the World Twenty20 in India earlier this year PicPTI Q Its widely recognised that the role of head coach of the Pakistan cricket team is one of the toughest jobs in the world due to external influences Is this something that concerns youA You just have to be able to block all of that out and I certainly will Im going there to do the best I possibly can for Pakistan cricket I want to make this team as successful as it can be and I will not let external forces dictate how I go about doing my business and I will certainly be blocking out all that external noiseQ How do you intend to tackle the issue of ill discipline from some of the players you will be working withA I just want to create an environment that allows the players to perform and I know that any environment with structure where theres proper values has got a far better chance of success than one that hasnt So Im going to create a culture that the players can go into and perform and where they also enjoy their cricket I want to stimulate the players in the right way and ensure they are enjoying their cricket and perform The important thing is that when people enjoy their cricket they get the best out of themselvesQ You will be working in tandem with three different captains Do you think that makes your job more difficultA Yes it does a little bit to be honest We will assess that Ill go in and have a look and discuss it with InzamamulHaq and see what he thinks is the best way forward and well go from there Ideally you want two captains as a maximum across the three formats Thats something we will look at even if its three different captains that can be fineQ Do you think Shahid Afridi has a future in international cricketA Shahids been a fantastic player for Pakistan for many years so you dont discard phenomenal players like that very easily If we think there is a role for him we will certainly bring him back but thats a discussion for the future and another timeQ Do you think Pakistans struggles in 20over cricket are partly down to the players not playing in the Indian Premier League IPLA You learn such a lot from franchise cricket tournaments and I think that could be playing a large role Yes its probably right that not playing in the IPL could be affecting the performances of the Pakistan team in the 20over formatQ Pakistans cricket followers and the media are an impatient bunch They will want instant improvement and a rise up the limited overs rankings Are those acceptable and fair expectationsA Its certainly not going to happen overnight Its a process that we are going to have to look over as we go along Weve got to put small goals in place first and get those small goals right and then we can start thinking about setting ourselves some big goals but its going to take some timeQ Your predecessor Waqar Younis suggested that the head coach should be part of the selection committee Do you agree with WaqarA Yes I agree with Waqar The head coach should certainly be privy to the selection panel Whether he has a vote or not is immaterial because it never really gets down to a vote as its normally just a general good discussion