Mohammad Hafeez, the head coach and team director of the Pakistan cricket team, encountered a setback as he reportedly missed his scheduled flight to Sydney for the impending final Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), commencing on January 3rd. Sources suggest that Hafeez, accompanied by his wife, arrived at the airport after the stipulated check-in time, leading the authorities to deny them boarding.
It appears that the couple might have been unaware of the flight’s departure time, as they managed to board a subsequent flight a few hours later. Amidst these developments, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has maintained silence and refrained from releasing any official statement concerning Hafeez’s travel mishap.
The upcoming Test match in Sydney holds significance despite Pakistan already conceding the series victory to Australia, who secured a commanding 2-0 lead with a triumph by 79 runs in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Amidst speculations surrounding team changes, emerging reports hint at Saim Ayub poised to make his Test debut in Sydney, potentially replacing Imam-ul-Haq due to the latter’s recent performance criticisms.
Hafeez, known for his outspoken nature, previously expressed dissatisfaction with the officiating and technology during Pakistan’s loss at the MCG. He specifically referenced the dismissal of Mohammad Rizwan, emphasizing that the ball did not make contact with the wicketkeeper’s gloves—a contentious moment that reignited debates about the reliability of cricketing technology and umpiring decisions.
“We made some mistakes as a team, we will take that, we will address those things, but at the same time, I believe inconsistent umpiring and technology curse [has] really given us the result which should have been different.”
“I feel like these are the areas that need to be addressed. I spoke to [Rizwan] and he’s a very honest person. He said he did not even feel that it touched anywhere near the gloves. And what we saw, there should be conclusive evidence to reverse the decision of the umpire.”
Pakistan has not secured a Test victory in Australia since 1995.
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