The squad for the most-anticipated International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 will be announced tomorrow (Friday), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Thursday.
The PCB in an official statement stated that a meeting chaired by Management Committee Chief Zaka Ashraf, with the national coaching staff headed by Mickey Arthur, skipper Babar Azam, vice-captain Shadab Khan, and former captains Misbah ul Haq and Mohammad Hafeez in attendance, on Wednesday reviewed the national squad’s performance in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2023.
Head coach Grant Bradburn, batting coach Andrew Puttick, bowling coach Morne Morkel and others were also present on the occasion.
During the meeting, Dr Sohail Saleem to briefed about players’ injuries and the way forward for players’ rehabilitation programs.
Meanwhile, Ashraf said that the philosophy behind this review was to create an atmosphere of open discussion and develop consensus.
“The idea is to have everyone on board and debate about performances, identifying the problems and their solutions. We have to debate strengths and weaknesses so that we are clear about what and where we need to invest for the betterment of our team,” he added.
The PCB presser said that the meeting discussion revealed that the previous management had allowed a lot of players to play league cricket which fatigued them ahead of their national duty.
“But going forward we have agreed to form a proactive approach to tackle players workload and give national duty a priority,” it quoted Ashraf as saying.
“I am glad we had a good positive review session and are on the same page. We are confident that the experience gained in the Asia Cup was a learning curve and will help prepare for the ICC Men’s World Cup.
“Our team is filled with talent, and we believe they have the capability to compete and win at the highest level. We have world-class batters and bowlers and are committed to providing them with the necessary support and resources to ensure they are well-equipped ahead of the mega event,” he said.
Chief selector Inzamam ul Haq couldn’t make it to the meeting yesterday due to a medical emergency but met Zaka Ashraf this afternoon to share his input.
After the completion of the review, Inzamam has finalised the Pakistan squad for the ICC World Cup, which will be announced on Friday morning in a press conference scheduled to take place at 11:15am at Level 2, Far-End Building of Gaddafi Stadium.