PCB holds Pakistan Asia Cup performance review meeting to focus on workload management

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently held a meeting to review Pakistan’s performance in the recently concluded Asia Cup. Pakistan started with a big win over Nepal but failed to advance to the final after losing to India and Sri Lanka.

The loss against the Men in Blue at the R Premadasa Stadium was Pakistan’s biggest by run margin in ODI history between the two teams.

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The review meeting was attended by PCB chief Zaka Ashraf, coach Mickey Arthur, captain Babar Azam, vice-captain Shadab Khan and former captains Mohammad Hafeez and Misbah-ul-Haq.

At the meeting it was learned that it is necessary to focus on the workload of the players. Fatigue from playing in foreign T20 leagues was found to be one of the main reasons behind Pakistan’s poor performance.

“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 discuss the actions, identifying the problems and their solutions. We have to discuss the strengths and weaknesses to be clear about what and where we need to invest to improve our team,” said Zaka Ashraf.

“The discussion revealed that the previous management had allowed many players to play league cricket, which fatigued them before fulfilling their national duty. But looking ahead, we have agreed to take a proactive approach to addressing player workload and prioritizing national duty.

However, the PCB chief was confident and said that Pakistan has a good enough team to perform well in the upcoming World Cup to be played on Indian soil.

“I’m glad we had a good positive review session and that we’re on the same page. We are sure that the experience gained in the Asia Cup was a learning curve and will help prepare us for the ICC Men’s World Cup.

“Our team is full of talent and we believe they have the ability to compete and win at the highest level. “We have world-class batsmen and bowlers and we are committed to providing them with the necessary support and resources to ensure they are well equipped ahead of the mega event.”

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