Trainer's absence leads to fitness crisis

Differences between the trainer and team management is badly hurting Pakistan who are bogged down with serious fitness crisis.

Differences between the trainer and team management is badly hurting Pakistan who are bogged down with serious fitness crisis in the midst of the all-important series-deciding third cricket Test against India.

HT Image

While the match winner in Lahore Umar Gul missed the decider with an injury, strike bowler Shoaib Akhtar has had to sit out at a crucial juncture after he injured himself on the follow-through in the post-tea session on Wednesday.

Akthar did not take the field this morning making it worse for Pakistan team, struggling to restrict India's first innings total.

In-form batsman Asim Kamal has also been laid low by an injury to the elbow.

Trainer-cum doctor Tuseef Razzak did not come with the team from Lahore follwoing differences with captain Inzamam-ul Haq over the workout of fast bowlers and sent in a medical certificate to the Board stating that he should take complete rest for a knee problem.

Although Pakistan Cricket Board has denied that the trainer has quit, an official told local daily 'The Nation' that Razzaq, whose contract ends on April 30, was "not likely" to continue with his post.

"Yes, he is not likely to continue and according to information I have received, he has told the top brass he is not continuing with the team. He will be replaced by someone for the next assignment of the team," the official said.

The PCB official said Razzaq had some meetings with top office bearers of the Board including Chief Executive Ramiz Raja and chairman Shaharyar Khan and discussed the matter in detail.

"But the PCB has decided to replace Razzaq after looking into the matter in depth," he said.

The Board, he said, was not in a hurry to renew the trainer's contract as the team has no important fixture immediately after the Indian tour.

Differences between the trainer and captain Inzamam-ul-Haq centre around how much the Pakistan fast bowlers should be made to work in the nets. Dr. Razzaq believes that too much bowling in the nets is the cause for injuries.

He was reportedly peeved after told by Inzamam that he should confine himself only to training instead of interfering in team matters.