No squad consolidation, no compromise on discipline: PCB sends stern message to Pakistan players

In a stern message to the Pakistani player, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi advised them against groupism in the team and said there would be no compromise on discipline in the team. The board also asked the players to improve their fitness.

No team consolidation, no compromise on discipline: PCB sends stern message to Pakistani players

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi sent a stern message to Pakistani players. (Photo: AFP)

New Delhi: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has sent a stern message to the Pakistan national cricket team players, saying there will be no compromise on discipline in the team in future. Naqvi also demanded mandatory fitness tests at regular intervals and said lobbying within the team will not be tolerated.

Naqvi’s remarks came after chairing a three-hour meeting at Pakistan’s National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore on Monday. The PCB chief also proposed a series of other recommendations to improve the quality of cricket and cricket infrastructure in Pakistan, from the grassroots to the highest level.

The meeting was attended by PCB officials, Pakistan football team coach Gary Kirsten, Test coach Jason Gillespie and selection committee member Muhammad Yousuf among others. Naqvi made strong recommendations at the meeting, making it clear that players will be included in the national team only on the basis of their merit and no factions will be tolerated.

His recommendations come after reports recently went viral that batsman Shaheen Shah Afridi misbehaved with the coaches and team management during Pakistan’s recent tours. Rumours also swirled during the 2024 T20 World Cup that all was not well between captain Babar Azam and Shaheen, who had replaced Babar as captain during the T20Is only to see the star batsman return to his position ahead of the T20 World Cup.

“There will be no compromise on discipline. There will be a zero tolerance policy towards players who violate discipline. There must be unity and consensus within the team. Grouping of players will not be tolerated. The management must take strict action regarding grouping. Disciplinary players will not be given a place in the team. Do not accept my recommendation regarding any player for breach of discipline,” Naqvi was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the PCB.

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Fitness test every 3 months for Pakistani players

Naqvi said that fitness will be a major criterion for selection and a fitness test will be conducted every three months for the players. The PCB chief also asked all players to participate in domestic cricket while clarifying that the central contract of each player will be reviewed every year based on their performances and statistics.

Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie added to selection committee

The Pakistan Cricket Board has also confirmed that Test coach Gillespie and white-ball coach Kirsten have been added to the senior national selection panel. The move to include the duo comes after former Pakistan cricketers Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq were recently dropped from the selection committee.

PCB chief Naqvi said he had full confidence in Kirsten and Gillespie and gave them free rein to run the affairs of Pakistan cricket.

“Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie are fully committed. I have full confidence in them. Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie have free rein. I hope both of them perform to the best of their ability,” Naqvi said.

The PCB chief had been planning this move for quite some time now as he had promised major reforms after Pakistan’s poor performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Pakistan crashed out of the group stage of the T20 World Cup after suffering back-to-back defeats to the USA and India in their first two matches. This was Pakistan’s second consecutive failure in a major event after their disappointing performance in the ODI World Cup last year.