Former captain Misbah-Ul-Haq has come down heavily on Pakistan after Babar Azam and his team suffered a crushing six-wicket defeat to England in their T20 World Cup warm-up tie. Misbah was not happy with the fitness of Pakistan players, highlighting how some of them are out of shape and that barring a few, no one is taking the matter seriously. After England chased down Pakistan's total of 160/8 and won the match with 26 balls to spare, Misbah took shots at Pakistan team's trainer and revealed how some of the previous coaching staff left due to players not paying enough focus on their fitness.
"Clear cut, fitness issues are visible, Waqar left four times [as coach], I left once. Players like myself, Shoaib Malik, and Younis Khan were quite into fitness, and we used to push ourselves. Those who push others out of their limitations are not considered good trainers nor good coaches. Their tummies are visible; their lower are heavy and they can't move. The reason behind this is there has not been a single fitness test, there is no benchmark," Cricket Pakistan quoted Misbah as saying.
Misbah further explained how this is a topic that is lagging at the grassroot level, calling it a 'joke'. The former Pakistan captain pointed put that for things to change, it needs to happen at the domestic level, which is crucial for securing the next generation of Pakistan cricketers. Misbah recalled how people responsible there would casually react every time he or any other former Pakistan cricketer would try and lay emphasis on player fitness.
{{/usCountry}}Misbah further explained how this is a topic that is lagging at the grassroot level, calling it a 'joke'. The former Pakistan captain pointed put that for things to change, it needs to happen at the domestic level, which is crucial for securing the next generation of Pakistan cricketers. Misbah recalled how people responsible there would casually react every time he or any other former Pakistan cricketer would try and lay emphasis on player fitness.
{{/usCountry}}"Fitness test level during domestic season becomes a joke. We used to have arguments that we used to say that the standard used for the international level must be used for the domestic level as well. The responsible people at the domestic level always opposed us related to fitness."
Pakistan begin their T20 World Cup campaign against India this Sunday at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.