The lack of unity among the Pakistan team was among the topics discussed at the PCB coordination camp

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The lack of unity among the Pakistan team was among the topics discussed at the PCB coordination camp

The PCB’s much-anticipated “communication camp” ended on Monday, which officials say is a signpost to bring the game out of the doldrums it currently finds itself in.

Officials and team managers, including both head coaches Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten, described the day of open and rigorous discussions, including the lack of unity in the national team, with the two national captains, Shan Masood and Babar Azam, and a group of other players.

The camp was organized as Pakistan was reeling from one of the darkest periods in its history, with managerial turmoil leading to a series of disastrous results on the field. Last year, Pakistan lost to Afghanistan in the ODI World Cup, USA in the T20 World Cup and recently they were beaten 2-0 by Bangladesh in the home Test series.

Speculations have been rife about growing differences in the dressing room, which have been building since last year but have been fueled this year by the immediate appointment and removal of Shaheen Shah Afridi as Pakistan’s T20I captain, and the return of Babar Azam as T20I captain. Kirsten, a white soccer coach, is said to have been surprised by its quality when she first started doing this job.

Salman Naseer, the chief executive of PCB, admitted that the lack of unity was part of the discussions, not only within the team but between the board and the players.

“The session was about this, that we openly accept and openly identify [issues] and we asked for commitment from each other, we wanted it, about how we can improve our games and how we work together as a team,” said Naseer in a press conference in Lahore after the end of the camp. “Our unanimous opinion was that we need it. to solve this moving forward and we need to identify how we do it.”

Naseer did not go into details of the talks, saying that providing a “safe space” is essential to allowing people to open up. But tensions between the players and the board have been growing, especially after many top stars were banned by the NOCs from participating in the summer leagues. Afridi, Babar, Mohammad Rizwan and Naseem Shah were all banned from playing in the leagues ahead of the start of Pakistan’s home season, with work management the main reason cited by the board.

“Our job is to listen and learn and look to create ways where we can work effectively as players, as a team and as coaches. What was really clear today was the pride Pakistani players have in playing for Pakistan.”

Jason Gillespie

“When it comes to unity, it wasn’t just about the team,” Naseer admitted. “It was between the team and management and how we can work together to do things effectively. These were part of the discussions. We talked about planning, we talked about load management.

“Everyone feels that the performance of the players, and the management could be better. The idea was to sit together, identify the problems and what could be better. What is our vision and how do we get there?”

The camp is believed to have asked immediate questions about the Pakistan team, soon after the defeat to Bangladesh and the arrival of England in the three-Test series in October. But Kirsten, who has been in Pakistan for the past 12 days to watch the Champions Cup, expressed optimism by praising the depth of talent in Pakistan – unlike chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s recent similar comments.

“I’ve been here for 12 days or so watching the Champions Cup and I’m very encouraged by the depth of the level of players in this tournament,” said Kirsten. “It was very good to see. I really enjoyed the competition. The level of the competition was high. It was good to see many young players showing what they can do.”

Negotiations will continue, according to Gillespie. “Because we are new in the profession, our job is to listen, learn and look for ways to work effectively as players, as a team and as coaches. What was really clear today was the pride of the Pakistani players. They played for Pakistan and how much they want to promote the country.

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