In the recently finished Asian Cup 2023, the Babar Azam-led Pakistan cricket squad fell short of expectations.
The Pakistan cricket team, led by Babar Azam, fell short of expectations in the recently ended Asian Cup 2023. The 1992 Cricket World Cup champions had a fantastic opportunity to prepare for the 2023 edition, but they were eliminated at the Super 4 stage. Despite having played extensively in Sri Lanka, where the majority of the Asia Cup matches were contested, Pakistan was unable to qualify for the continental event’s final. They also lost to India in a Super 4 encounter. The Pakistan Cricket Board recently performed a performance evaluation.
The meeting was presided over by Zaka Ashraf, the head of the PCB management committee, according to a Cricket Pakistan report. Pakistan captain Babar Azam, head coach Grant Bradburn, and technical cricket committee members Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez were also in attendance. Team director Mickey Arthur and vice-captain Shadab Khan also spoke up.
According to the article, during the meeting, “Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez conscientiously highlighted the shortcomings exhibited by the Pakistani team during the Asia Cup and posed several pertinent questions to management.”
Interestingly, Hafeez resigned shortly after. He announced his decision in a post on X. “I’ve decided to leave the Pakistan Cricket Technical Committee.” As an honorary member, I participated. I’d want to thank Zaka Ashraf sb for giving me this opportunity. I’m always accessible if Zaka Ashraf sb needs my honest opinion on Pakistan cricket. As always, my best wishes go to Pakistan cricket. Pakistan Zindabad,” he wrote.
In a statement, PCB head of the management committee Zaka Ashraf said, “The philosophy behind this review was to create an atmosphere of open discussion and develop consensus.” The goal is to engage everyone in a discussion about performances while identifying issues and potential solutions. Coach Mickey Arthur, captain Babar Azam, vice-captain Shadab Khan, and ex-captains Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez were also present during the review meeting.
According to the PCB, Dr. Sohail Saleem briefed about the ailments of the players and “the way forward for players’ rehabilitation programmes.” Both Pakistani pacers Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf sustained injuries during their rain-delayed match against India in Colombo, with the former’s World Cup participation in doubt. In order to put improvement to the side, the release stated that “every aspect of recent team performance, player fitness, and future plans came into discussion.” On improving the method and plan for managing the workload of the players, there was consensus. It also emphasised how crucial it is to bolster the bench.
