The PCB holds a review meeting on Thursday. The meeting was held on the occasion of the World Cup squad announcement. The teams playing must communicate the final 15-player names for the cricket. The deadline to finalize it is September 28. If any replacement is needed after September 28, it requires the ICC board’s approval.
The PCB chairman, Zaka Ashraf, stated, “The goal behind the review meeting was to incorporate a room for healthy discussion and consensus development. The sole purpose is to bring the board together and talk about player performances, problems, and identifying solutions.”
This meeting was attended by Mickey Arthur (the team director), captain Babar Azam, Misbah-ul-Haq (former skipper), and Mohammad Hafeez (former skipper). The public reviews were also shared and discussed in the meeting.
The former captain and chief selector, Inzamam-ul-Haq, could not attend the meeting. There was a medical emergency. However, he shared his insights with the chief on Thursday. The other members, like coach Grant Bradburn (head coach), Morne Morkel (bowling coach), and Andrew Puttick (batting coach), were also invited to the PCB review meet to review the team’s performance.
Ashraf said, “The debate of strengths and weaknesses of our team is crucial. It helps have a clear idea about where to and where not to invest in for the team.”
Pakistan lost to India and Sri Lanka. Hence, it is not capable of playing in the Asia Cup Finals. It won only against Bangladesh and Nepal. Hence, the team review meeting discussed the reasons for failure. And what can be done to improve performance and team efforts?
Pakistan has won the Asia Cup two times. One was in 2000, and the other in 2012. Its greatest defeat was in 2023 by India. It lost the game by 228 runs in the ODI match. The mega clash happened in Ahmedabad. The match took place on October 14, 2023.
Dr. Sohail Saleem briefed the players on rehabilitation programs and injuries. The PCB gave a brief review and expressed its opinion in the review meeting. The two players suffering injuries were Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf. The rain was the reason for Pakistan’s clash with India. It took place with the doubt that Pakistan would play in the World Cup match.
The discussion took place in every aspect. A robust review meeting happened to discuss the player’s fitness, plans, and the improvements to be made. An agreement was made to improve the strategy and approach to the players’ workload. The benefit of strengthening the bent was also discussed in the review meeting.
The PCB chief was also confident about Pakistan’s team members. He said they can perform well in the World Cup match. The match is to commence on Indian soil.
He said, “I am happy we could conduct a positive review meeting. Everyone is now on the same page. The Asia Cup experience is a learning opportunity for us and our players. It will help us prepare and play better in the ICC Men’s World Cup.”
“The Pakistan team is full of talent, and we will undoubtedly win at high levels of the game. The world-class batters and bowlers have the zeal to play better next time. We will support them with the necessary resources and equipment before the mega event,” Ashraf added.
Further discussions also reveal that many players were allowed to play league cricket several times. As a result, they were tired before the Asia Cup. However, they will devise a proactive approach to work on the players’ workload.
Pakistan has its preparations on to give their best in the World Cup. They are confident about their win in the upcoming match.
