Pakistani cricket legend Wasim Akram questioned the direction of Pakistan’s cricket governance, especially under the current Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) leadership. He did not shy away from targeting PCB’s rash decision-making, contrasting it with the stability and vision that had brought the team to the T20 World Cup 2022 final in Australia.
Wasim Akram aired his frustrations on ‘The Pavilion’, a sports show on A Sports, where he highlighted the significant fitness concerns among Pakistani cricketers. He pointed out that some players looked as if they had little regard for their physical condition.
“Looks like these guys are eating 8 kilos of mutton every day. Should there not be tests?” the Sultan of Swing said.
“It was embarrassing today. To reach 280-odd losing just two wickets is pretty big. Wet pitch or not, look at the fielding, and the fitness levels. We’ve been screaming for the last 3 weeks that these players haven’t undergone a fitness test in the last two years,” he added while speaking about Pakistan’s defeat against Afghanistan.
Pakistan, while batting first, put up 282/7 in 50 overs. Afghanistan, who were at the bottom of the table prior to this game, reached the target by losing only 2 wickets.
Akram spoke about the inconsistency in the leadership within the PCB. He recounted how the board had seen significant changes over the past several months, including multiple chairmen and shifts in the coaching staff. He underlined that such frequent changes were detrimental to the team’s performance.
Akram stressed that, earlier when Misbah-ul-Haq was the coach, he had set certain criteria for fitness and performance, a system that had proven successful, even if it had not been popular among the players.
‘You guys are getting paid’
“Professionally you guys are getting paid, playing for your country. There has to be a certain criteria. Misbah, when he was coach, had that criteria. Players hated him but it worked. Fielding is all about fitness and that’s where we are lacking. Now we have reached that same position, where we will pray for ifs and buts to happen,” he added.
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Updated: 24 Oct 2023, 09:39 AM IST
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Hasibur Rahaman is a passionate sports journalist. He covers everything from cricket to field hockey, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis of sporting events, both within India and on the international stage.
