short-lived head coaching position in Tennessee. In 201

Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq has identified the paucity of 50-over cricket at domestic level as the main cause of the teams current ODI struggles. Pakistans domestic structure has undergone several changes in recent years and Misbah said the one-day game has been getting the short shrift.While a Pakistani domestic cricketer may play at least ten to twenty first-class matches a season, he doesnt get the same match practice in the 50-over format, Misbah told ESPNcricinfo. I have long been saying that we need to lay greater emphasis on one-day cricket in our domestic system, and play more one-day games, because you cant evolve by playing a maximum of five 50-over matches a year in the domestic circuit.While Pakistan are the No. 1 Test team in the world, they languish at No. 9 in the ODI rankings. Misbah was clear the discrepancy in the teams fortunes was due to lack of exposure, and not talent.We have just one fifty-over tournament and the format is not even played at club level anymore, he said. Most of the cricket at grassroots level is 20 to 25 overs; this is one big reason that our ODI cricket has deteriorated and we are standing at No. 9. We needed and still need to develop our resources and we can only do so by increasing the number of games in our domestic tournament. The reason we are on top in Tests is because our players are getting enough games and exposure at domestic level. That is the only reason I see.Otherwise, these players are talented and they have shown glimpses of their flair, though not consistently. So this talent needs to be nurtured by giving them more games at domestic level. Exposure to a lot of competitive cricket will enable them to polish their skills.Misbah took over the ODI reins in May 2011 and led the side for almost four years, before stepping down after the 2015 World Cup. Having won 13 of their first 14 matches under Misbah, Pakistans results took a nosedive with 38 losses in the remaining 72 matches of his tenure. Azhar Ali has managed only nine wins in 25 matches. Misbah, however, insisted that the captain should not be the only one blamed for poor performance.In Pakistan, there is a perception that the captain is the only one responsible for everything. Cricket is a team game and every player has to contribute, he said. We used every possible talent in the country but it didnt work. Whenever you are forced to change, that is because team isnt performing. Unfortunately, in one-day cricket, the boys havent performed well, like they have done in Test cricket. The bowling, after Saeed Ajmal, hasnt done enough and the batting has never been consistent.In the search for solutions to the teams ODI slump, Pakistans selectors have tried well over 40 players since the start of Misbahs captaincy, in a seemingly never-ending transition.When the team doesnt perform and keeps losing, then changes are necessary, Misbah said. But when you start winning then you can back the talent and just go into the future with that. But that wasnt really the case for Pakistan. We tried a lot of players in a bid to find a good combination, but it didnt give results and players were dropped because they never gave us a chance to retain them.Nobody wants to carry on with failure and if a player is stuck with his weakness and not improving, regardless of his potential, you have to drop him and move on. This not only good for the team, but also for the player because you cant allow him to play with consistent failure - it is really unfair as it can cost him his career, so you have to be think tactically as well.Pakistan have 14 ODIs scheduled before the window for direct qualification into the 2019 World Cup in England closes and Misbah has backed coach Mickey Arthurs efforts to make sure they are among the top eight teams by the September 2017 deadline.The important thing is that he is trying to bring a structural change from top, Misbah said. There was connection missing in between and that is being connected. Players fitness, bowling actions, batting techniques are being taken into consideration before selecting a squad to represent the country. Fitness is a major component and players must realise that. Frank Robinson Jersey . The Masters champion and winner of last weeks Australian PGA has a three-round total of 14-under 199 at Royal Melbourne. 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SAN DIEGO -- Here the Chargers go again.Will they stay in San Diego, their home since 1961, beyond this season, or will they really bolt for Los Angeles, eventually to join the Rams in a new stadium in Inglewood?Their long-suffering fans will be exposed to another season of drama not unlike last year, when the Chargers attempted to gain approval for a stadium they would have shared with the archrival Oakland Raiders in the L.A. suburb of Carson. NFL owners sacked that plan, but did give the Chargers until Jan. 15 to decide if theyll eventually join the Rams in a new stadium in Inglewood in 2019.First, though, comes Election Day, when voters will be asked to approve an increase in the hotel room tax to provide $1.1 billion for a $1.8 billion stadium and convention center downtown.The team has as big a fight on its hands to get that measure passed as it does on the field. Some fans are still angry with owner Dean Spanos for his scorched-earth campaign last year to discredit San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and his plans for a new stadium at the site of aging Qualcomm Stadium in Mission Valley.Plus, the powerful tourism industry is opposed to the Chargers plan for a downtown stadium that would be built just east of Petco Park, home of baseballs Padres. The measure needs two-thirds majority to pass, a number considered virtually impossible in anti-tax San Diego.So its on. Again.Here are some things to watch for as the Chargers play perhaps their most pivotal season in San Diego:THE STADIUM SAGA: The Chargers have tried and failed for 15 years to get a new stadium built. They wouldnt negotiate with Faulconer over his Mission Valley plan as they looked toward L.A. Rebuffed by Spanos fellow owners, though, they set their sights on downtown and qualified a citizens initiative for the Nov. 8 ballot. Several groups are opposing the measure, which would include an offsite annex to the citys bayfront convention center. Many specifics, including the stadiums actual design, wouldnt be finalized until the measure passes.JOEY BOSA: The Chargers absorbed another PR hit when they got locked in a contract stalemate with first-round draft pick Bosa, the No. 3 selection overall from Ohio State. He missed all of training camp after his agennts sparred with the Chargers over the payout schedule for his $17 million signing bonus and other issues.dddddddddddd The Bolts issued the old weve made our best offer ultimatum, and Bosa signed five days later.The saga got so silly that Bosas mother, Cheryl, took shots at the Chargers on social media. What do you expect a mom to do? Joey Bosa said. She loves me, she wants whats best for me and she made a dumb decision, like I have before, saying something she shouldnt have said on social media.That drama over, the Chargers need Bosa to pile up sacks and help patch the leaky run defense.THE HOT SEAT? Coach Mike McCoy presided over a nightmarish 4-12 season in 2015 and was rewarded with a contract extension. The front office said it believes in McCoy, who then fired most of his offensive staff, including coordinator Frank Reich. McCoy is 23-27 in three seasons, including a playoff win and loss in 2013. The Chargers pretty much bottomed out in 2014, including being swept in the AFC West.WHIZ IS BACK: After firing Reich, McCoy brought back Ken Whisenhunt as offensive coordinator, the job he held before taking a short-lived head coaching position in Tennessee. In 2013, Whisenhunt helped scheme an offense that allowed Philip Rivers to bounce back from a few rough seasons. It appears Whisenhunt will cut down on the number of times Rivers lines up in the shotgun, hoping that having him under center more will help running back Melvin Gordon. However, Whisenhunt hasnt ditched the delayed draw on third down, causing some angst among fans.GORDON: No ones looking for a bigger bounce-back year than the second-year running back. After starring at Wisconsin, his rookie season was dreadful. He failed to score a touchdown, never had a 100-yard game, was benched twice because of fumbling problems, then missed the last two games with an injured left knee. Hes come back from microfracture surgery and will need some help from the offensive line, which often struggled last year.---Follow Bernie Wilson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/berniewilson---Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '