In the ICC World Cup in India, Afghanistan defeated Pakistan by eightwickets on Monday. Pakistan’s former fast bowler, Wasim Akram, expressedhis disappointment and criticized the team’s fitness, suggesting that theyshould assess their own performance. Speaking on a local sports channel,Wasim Akram emphasized the importance of fitness in fielding and hintedthat some players may not be meeting the required fitness standards,indicating the need for consistency in fitness testing for players.
“Wasim Akram said, It was embarrassing; reaching 280 with only two wicketsis a big deal. Whether it’s the fielding or fitness level, we need to lookat it.
We’ve been complaining for the past three weeks that these players are notpassing the fitness test. There hasn’t been a fitness test in the past twoyears. If I start taking individual names, their faces will drop. It seemslike these players are eating more than 8 kg mutton and biryani, and thereshould be a specific standard for players’ fitness tests.’
Wasim Akram also stressed the importance of setting specific standards forplayers’ fitness and mentioned that the coaching staff led by Misbah-ul-Haqhad implemented standards that had yielded positive results. He furtherstated, “On a professional level, you are being compensated for playing foryour country.
Fitness should be a special standard. When Misbah was coaching, hemaintained these standards. Players used to resent him, but he got the jobdone. Fielding is related to fitness, and that’s why we lack in thisposition. Let’s hope for better in the future.'”
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The 57-year-old player criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) formaking hasty decisions and expressed dissatisfaction with continuouschanges in the coaching staff and administration. Wasim Akram said, “Wewere passionate that we were number one. In the past 6-8 months, we had achairman, but when Najam Sethi came to the board for 3-4 months, heimmediately changed the coaching staff. We reached the final last year, butwhen he suddenly came, he shook things up.”
The former fast bowler also hinted at ending the High-Performance Centersestablished by Wasim Khan and Ehsan Mani and questioned unnecessary changesand sought stability in the system.