Former Pakistan cricketers have raised serious concerns about the selection criteria, players’ fitness, and the ongoing tussle for captaincy during a high-level meeting with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Monday.
Held at a hotel in Lahore, the meeting aimed to gather insights and suggestions from experienced former players to improve the national cricket setup and steer the team in the right direction.
Key Attendees
Over fifteen former Test and international cricketers participated, sharing a range of suggestions to bolster the country’s cricket infrastructure.
The meeting included notable figures such as Salman Butt, Ijaz Ahmed, Basit Ali, Intikhab Alam, Asim Kamal, Mohammad Sami, Shafiq Papa, Yasir Hameed, Saleem Altaf, Haroon Rasheed, Yasir Shah, Sikandar Bakht, Wajahatullah Wasti, and Azhar Khan.
Former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, expected to be part of the upcoming Bangladesh series, was also present. The former captains Javed Miandad and Rashid Latif were also invited. However, Javed Miandad could not attend due to ill health, and Rashid Latif apologized for his absence due to prior commitments.
Concerns Raised
A key issue raised was the team combination and selection during the recently concluded ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Several cricketers pointed out an imbalance, highlighting an excess of openers and a lack of reliable middle-order batters. This poor selection strategy, they argued, was detrimental to the team’s performance.
“Pakistan team went to World Cup with two batters and a bunch of sloggers,” a former cricketer said during the PCB meeting.
Frequent changes in captaincy were also highlighted as a significant factor contributing to the team’s instability. Some former players emphasized that these changes were harmful and suggested keeping Babar Azam as captain for continuity.
Emphasis on Fitness and First-Class Cricket
The cricketers underscored the importance of prioritizing fitness, stressing that it is crucial for achieving consistent performance. They advocated for strict fitness standards without any compromise.
Meanwhile, almost all the attendees were agreed on the fact that current national players should be asked to play more first-class cricket in every season to enhance their performance and keep them match fit.
One of the player also gave an interesting suggestion that NOC for league cricket should be linked with specific number of first-class games for each player.
In response, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi assured the attendees that the board would take serious steps to address the concerns raised. He committed to improving Pakistan’s domestic cricket structure and other related matters based on the valuable suggestions provided during the meeting.
In an informal conversation after the meeting, Mohsin Naqvi mentioned that discussions were held on various aspects of domestic cricket, with everyone providing excellent advice. When asked about Babar Azam’s captaincy, Naqvi replied, “There has been no discussion on this yet.”
Naqvi clarified that the focus of the meeting was primarily on structural improvements and strategic insights for the future of Pakistan cricket.
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