New Delhi: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi has sent a stern message to the players of the Pakistan national cricket team, stating that there will be no compromise on discipline in the squad going forward. Naqvi has also asked for mandatory fitness tests at regular intervals and has said lobbying in the squad will not be tolerated.
Naqvi’s statements came after he chaired a three-hour-long meeting at Pakistan’s National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore on Monday. The PCB chief also proposed a series of other recommendations to improve the quality of cricket and cricketing infrastructure in Pakistan from the grassroots to the top level.
The meeting was attended by PCB top brass, Pakistan’s white-ball coach Gary Kirsten, Test coach Jason Gillespie and selection committee member Muhammad Yousuf among others. Naqvi made some strong recommendations in the meeting, making it clear that players will be part of the national team only on merit and no factions will be tolerated.
His recommendations come after reports went viral recently that pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi misbehaved with coaches and the team management during Pakistan’s recent tours. There were also rumours during the T20 World Cup 2024 that all is not well between captain Babar Azam and Shaheen, who had replaced Babar as captain in T20Is only to see the star batter regain his position ahead of the T20 World Cup.
“There will be no compromise on discipline. There will be a zero-tolerance policy against players who violate discipline. There should be unity and consensus within the team. Grouping players will not be tolerated. Management should take strict action on grouping. Disciplinary players will not have a place in the team. Do not accept my recommendation about any player for breach of discipline,” Naqvi was quoted as saying in a statement released by the PCB.
چئیرمین پاکستان کرکٹ بورڈ محسن نقوی کے کرکٹ اور ٹیم کی کارکردگی کی بہتری کیلئے بڑے فیصلے
گیری کرسٹن اور جیسن گلیسپی بھی سلیکشن کمیٹی میں شامل
ہر کھلاڑی کا ہر 3 ماہ بعد فٹنس ٹیسٹ لازمی ہو گا
کھلاڑی کو لازما ڈومیسٹک کرکٹ کھیلنا ہوگی
ڈومیسٹک کرکٹ کھیلنے کے طریقہ کار کو… pic.twitter.com/M0jaRMFUxK
— PCB Media (@TheRealPCBMedia) July 15, 2024
Fitness test every 3 months for Pakistan players
Naqvi said that fitness will be a major criterion for selection and there will be a fitness test every three months for the players. The PCB chief also directed all players to participate in domestic cricket while stating that the central contract of every player will be reviewed annually based on their performances and stats.
Gary Kirsten, Jason Gillespie added to selection committee
The Pakistan Cricket Board also confirmed that Test coach Gillespie and white-ball coach Kirsten have been added to the senior national selection panel. The move to include the duo comes after former Pakistan cricketers Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq were recently sacked from the selection committee.
PCB chief Naqvi said he has full confidence in Kirsten and Gillespie and is giving them a free hand in running the affairs in Pakistan cricket.
“Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie are fully empowered. I have full confidence in them. Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie have been given a free hand. Hope both will give the best results,” Naqvi said.
The PCB chief had planned the action for a while now as he had promised major reforms after Pakistan’s poor show in the T20 World Cup 2024. Pakistan bowed out from the group stage in the T20 World Cup after facing back-to-back defeats against USA and India in their first two matches. It was Pakistan’s second successive failure in a major event after their disappointing show in the ODI World Cup last year.
In a stern message to the Pakistan player, PCB chief has Mohsin Naqvi has advised them against groupism in the team and said that there will no compromise on disclipine in the squad. The board has also asked the players to up their fitness game. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
