The PCB recently gathered some of Pakistan’s top cricket stars – Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan – and the coaching staff for a ‘Connection Camp’.
The idea was to boost communication and team spirit. But from the looks of it, things didn’t go quite as planned. Instead of team bonding, the camp turned into a place for the players to voice their frustrations.
‘Mental Health Is Important’
According to insider reports, the players talked about performance pressures, mental health struggles, and of course, those never-ending delays in getting No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for playing in foreign leagues.
A player [no names were dropped] touched on how important mental peace is for peak performance. “To perform well, we need a peaceful mind,” the player said, reminding everyone that mental health is still an often-ignored aspect in our cricket circles.
Read More: Pakistan Cricket Needs More Than a Quick Fix: Former Chief Selector
The truth is, mental health in sports has become a global conversation. Whether it’s tennis stars like Naomi Osaka or cricketers like Glenn Maxwell, athletes are starting to open up about how much strain the pressure can put on them.
NOC Delays – Still a Pain Point
Another big issue, which was discussed during the camp was endless delays in processing NOCs for foreign leagues. Fakhar Zaman reportedly spoke up, saying, “The PCB often postpones these requests, and we don’t get any response.”
After hearing this, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi directed the CEO, Salman Naseer, to address the issue immediately. But this isn’t the first time this issue has come up. So, the question remains: will anything actually change this time?
What About Major Surgery?
Naqvi has been hinting at some big shakeups, saying that after Pakistan’s poor performance at the T20 World Cup [especially against India], a “major surgery” might be on the cards. “It seemed like a minor surgery would work, but after this performance, I’m convinced a major surgery is needed,” Naqvi told reporters.
Read More: PCB’s ‘Connection Camp’: Another Meeting With No Solutions
This talk about drastic changes sparked a lot of debate during the camp. Some players even suggested that the PCB should look inwards first. “The PCB needs to sort out its own problems before anything else,” one player remarked.
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