“4-5 Players Were Sleeping In Dressing Room”: Ex-Pakistan Captain’s Shocking Revelation
Pakistan cricket is going through a great turmoil.© AFP
The Pakistan cricket over the new few months is expected to go through ‘major surgery’, as said by Pakistan Cricket Board chief Mohsin Naqvi. Successive poor shows in the ODI World Cup 2023 and the 2024 T20 World Cup, has put a big question mark on the Babar Azam-led Pakistan. This time around the reaction to the exit is stronger because Pakistan started the tournament with an unexpected loss against debutants USA. Then they loss against India. The two losses proved to be Pakistan’s nemesis as they were knocked out despite winning their last two encounters.
Question marks have been raised on Pakistan’s intent with a viral quote from coach Gary Kirsten saying that there ‘there is no unity’ in the Pakistan team.
Now, former Pakistan cricket team captain selected Mohammad Hafeez has raised question marks on the culture inside the dressing room of the side. He narrated an incident involving several Pakistan players inside the dressing room.
“If a player is sleeping in a dressing room and we are playing Test cricket. If 4-5 players are sleeping in the dressing room, should I allow that as a selector?” Hafeez said in an online interaction with Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan.
Then Vaughan asked, “Were they tired?”
Hafeez replied: “I really don’t know. I went into the dressing room and found 4-5 players are sleeping in the dressing room while playing Test cricket. I was like, “how come you guys can do that?” If you do something like this, you cannot be a part of this team. I want you guys to stay focussed during the game and then off the game, whatever you guys do, it is your own life, I never get involved in it. But in professional timings of the game, I want you guys to focus on the game. Stay in touch. If you are a fast bowler, you can have a rest, a good ice bath but you need to concentrate on the game of cricket, like how the other team is also doing. You cannot switch yourself off during the game, but unfortunately the media didn’t like it.”
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