Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the Asia Cup 2023 has left them aiming for redemption in the upcoming ODI World Cup, which commences next month. Led by Babar Azam, Pakistan currently holds the top spot in the ICC ODI team rankings, making them one of the favorites entering the Asia Cup.
However, their campaign took a dismal turn as they suffered back-to-back defeats against arch-rivals India and co-hosts Sri Lanka in the Super Four stage, ultimately finishing at the bottom of the standings.
Following this underwhelming display, PCB chief Zaka Ashraf convened a meeting on September 21 to evaluate the team’s indifferent performance in the prestigious tournament.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam, vice-captain Shadab Khan, and coaching staff members, including head coach Grant Bradburn, batting coach Andrew Puttick, and bowling coach Morne Morkel, were among the attendees. Former Pakistan captains Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez were also present.
In the aftermath of the meeting, the PCB issued a statement in which Ashraf attributed the players’ fatigue to the previous board management’s decision to allow them to participate in franchise leagues, affecting their readiness for national commitments.
“The philosophy behind this review was to create an atmosphere of open discussion and develop consensus. The idea is to have everyone on board and debate about performances, identifying the problems and their solutions.”
“We have to debate strengths and weaknesses so that we are clear about what and where we need to invest for the betterment of our team,” Ashraf said in the statement.
“Discussion revealed that the previous management had allowed a lot of players to play league cricket which caused them to fatigued ahead of their national duty.”
“But going forward we have agreed to form a proactive approach to tackle players’ workload and give national duty a priority,” the 71-year-old added.
The Pakistan squad for the World Cup will be revealed tomorrow
Pakistan is one of the few teams that haven’t disclosed their squad for the forthcoming ODI World Cup in India. The statement mentioned that chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq met Ashraf on Thursday afternoon.
The former Pakistan captain selected the 15 players who will aim to secure a second 50-over World Cup title. The team’s announcement is expected to take place during a press conference on Friday, September 22, at the Far-End building of the Gaddafi Stadium.
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