Mohsin keeps players on their toes

Mohsin Khan, Pakistan's interim coach, has said he has told his players that, given the bench strength in the national team, they can't be complacent and must perform to maintain their place.

"For me, every player in the 16-man squad is a star," Mohsin told ESPNcricinfo. "And obviously each one is brimming with talent but there is a factor keeping them on their toes - that is a sense that they have earned their place.

"As the chief selector, my top priority was to make sure there was a backup for every spot; this is how you can get results. I wanted to instill that sense among the players and wanted them to be on their toes by building depth for every spot and making them realise that if they don't perform, there is someone else who can replace them."

Pakistan are especially deep when it comes to the middle and lower-middle order, with the likes of Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Asad Shafiq and Shoaib Malik competing for a couple of places in the line-up. "This situation isn't a coincidence, it has actually has been created," Mohsin said. "It means we have a tough time deciding the final XI but this is a positive for us.

"This situation keeps the players from becoming complacent as they have to perform to stay in the team. If someone sits out, it doesn't mean he is not good but it's a testing time for him. He obviously will be given a chance [eventually] and the break could help him build his mental toughness - he will realise the value of the opportunity [to play for Pakistan]."

Mohsin was named the team's interim coach for Pakistan's "home" series against Sri Lanka's in the UAE in early October; he replaced Waqar Younis, who quit over health reasons. Pakistan won the Test series 1-0, and won the opening ODI on Friday in clinical fashion. The PCB recently decided to let Mohsin continue as interim coach for the series against Bangladesh, which starts later this month. The PCB said the decision was taken as a full-time coach had not yet been identified.

"It's a privilege," Mohsin said on coaching Pakistan. "Though it's a challenging job, I have coped well and results are there. I feel any work that is done sincerely gives you fruitful results; I am happy with the job and ready, if the PCB asks me, to be the full-time coach.

"Coaching the Pakistan team is not as difficult as it seems. I won't talk about the past but I felt after taking the charge that the players were lacking in mental toughness and professionalism, despite their immense talent and ability. They are as good as the other top teams but were lacking in technical aspects and figuring out the nature of the problem has helped them to flourish."