The Pakistan cricket team is going through a lot of contemplation. After a disappointing Cricket World Cup under skipper Babar Azam, where they finished fifth, the national team has seen a lot of changes. They have a new Test captain (Shan Masood) and a T20I captain (Shaheen Afridi). The selection panel is also new. The first task of the new-look Pakistan cricket team will start in Australia in the next few days.
The Pakistan cricket team was guided almost entirely by foreign coaches at the Cricket World Cup. Grant Bradburn was their coach while Mickey Arthur was the Team Director. Morne Morkel was the bowling coach.
Pakistan great Wasim Akram has lashed out at the foreign coaches.
“Our foreign coaches aren’t here (in Pakistan) all the time. They only come for Tours. They don’t put efforts in going to the NCA and coaching youngsters or other coaches. They don’t work on the man-management and psychological side of things. Unhone to laddu khilaya hua hai hum sab ko (we are just being fooled),” Wasim Akram said on Sportskeeda.
Pakistan’s new Test captain Shan Masood was recently asked on whether he might be made the proverbial ‘sacrificial lamb’ if Australia Tour does not go well for Pakistan.
“Aapko Qurbani ka bakra banaya jayega (You will be made the sacrificial lamb)?” a reporter asked Shan Masood.
“Firstly, we see it as an opportunity. When you haven’t done something before in your history, then you have an opportunity to go out there and try to change it. So that’s what we’re trying to do, to get a positive result for Pakistan and in this World Test Championship,” Shan Masood said at a press conference.
“And as far as being qurbaani ka bakra (sacrificial lamb) is concerned, the captaincy, playing as a player in the side, these are all temporary things at the end of the day. As long as you are in that place, or seat, you should relish the opportunity, enjoy it and try and take responsibility, and give your best ability to the team.”
Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood’s contract was on Thursday upgraded to ‘B’ category from earlier ‘D’ by the country’s cricket board, hours after the team led by him left for Australia for a Test series.
With PTI inputs
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