Lahore:Former PCB Director Muhammad Hafeez has revealed that there is no emphasis on fitness standards within the Pakistan Cricket Team. Speaking to a local sports channel, Hafeez revealed that fitness was not prioritized and cited discussions with the then captain Babar Azam and the coaching staff to express concern over the neglect of fitness in the team.
Mohammad Hafeez said, “When we arrived in Australia, I spoke to the team, the captain (Babar Azam) and the management and asked them to prioritize fitness.” I asked the trainer about the fitness standards being followed. But the trainer told me 6 months ago that the management and the captain had instructed me not to prioritize fitness and check the fitness of the players and let them play their natural game.
Furthermore, Hafeez noted a related trend in athletes’ body fat levels, which are important indicators of fitness and performance. “After six months, when I observed them, the fat levels of athletes who play an important role at the international level had almost doubled the standard level,” he added.
It is worth noting that Pakistan have faced a string of disappointments, including poor performances in the Asia Cup and ODI World Cup last year. They suffered a 0-3 whitewash in the Test series against Australia when Shaun Masood took over the captaincy from Babar Azam. Furthermore, they lost the T20I series against New Zealand by 1-4.
