Former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez strongly criticized the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the poor planning and organization of the current 2023 World Cup. Hafeez accused the BCCI of lacking foresight in the competition’s management.
The planning for the World Cup has been marred by inaccuracies, with schedule changes occurring two months after the initial announcement, notably regarding the India-Pakistan match due to the Hindu festival Navratri.
Additionally, the absence of substantial crowds has raised concerns, and Pakistan cricket fans expressed frustration with the BCCI for the delayed issuance of their team’s visas. During a discussion on a regional sports program, Hafeez expressed his profound disappointment with what he had witnessed in the tournament within the first four days.
“We have seen the overall World Cup in just four days, till now, I have seen poor organising and poor planning from the organisers,” Hafeez said.
“The second biggest issue of this World Cup is the poor response from the crowd. When you are hosting a global event, then you have to make decisions globally [on a bigger scale]. You cannot make big decisions with a small small-minded approach.”
A major controversy arose during the Afghanistan-Bangladesh match in Dharamshala when Mujeeb-ur-Rahman’s knee became lodged in the pitch while attempting to save a boundary.
Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott raised concerns about the potential for a serious injury in this incident. England captain Jos Buttler is also cautious about playing at the same venue against Bangladesh on Tuesday.
“It’s not safe for the players” – Mohammad Hafeez thoughts on Dharamshala ground
Expressing his views about the condition of the Dharamshala ground, Mohammad Hafeez questioned why the BCCI hasn’t addressed the matter.
“No one has talked about it but Dharamshala’s outfield is a big question mark. It’s not safe for the players,” he stated.
He also believes that every country’s fans should receive visas for the major event without any difficulties.
“It does not matter from where they are, fans of every single team should get visas. If you can’t deal this [an event as big as the World Cup] in a global way, then its impact will not be global,” he continued.
On the other hand, Pakistan started their tournament with an 81-run victory against the Netherlands in Hyderabad. Their next match will be against Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
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