In Lahore, Babar Azam has conveyed his request to the Pakistan CricketBoard (PCB) to maintain his position as the team’s captain and retainShadab Khan as vice-captain.
This request came during a review session led by PCB chief Zaka Ashrafafter Pakistan’s disappointing exit from the 2023 Asia Cup. The GreenShirts’ early exit, particularly the loss to arch-rivals India and thesubsequent failure to reach the final, has put the performances of seniorplayers, including Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan, in question.
Consequently, the announcement of Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming ICCWorld Cup 2023 has been delayed. The team management is currently indiscussions to finalize the squad, taking into account players’performances and injuries during the Asia Cup.
According to sources from Geo News, both Babar Azam and Director MickeyArthur acknowledged that their regional tournament loss was due to a”flawed strategy.” Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq was notably absent fromthe meeting. Babar Azam pointed out that extensive travel and adverseweather conditions had impacted the team’s preparations.
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He mentioned that the team had been on a winning trajectory before theAsia Cup. “Arthur acknowledged fitness and middle-order issues but admittedthey lacked a plan for the World Cup and wanted to approach it with betterplanning,” the sources revealed.
During the meeting, fast bowling coach Morne Morkel proposed the idea ofhiring a separate coach for spinners. It’s worth noting that under ICCrules, all cricket boards must finalize their World Cup teams by September28 for the upcoming mega event.
