Pakistan has lost 4 matches out of 6 in ongoing ICC World Cup 2023.
Pakistan’s recent loss to South Africa in Chennai has almost put them out of contention for the semifinal race in CWC 2023. Before this match, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), had sent out a press release urging the fans to support the team.
However, on closer inspection, the board also threw captain Babar Azam and chief selector Inzamam-Ul-Haq under the bus by stating that they were given full authority to select the players they wanted for the tournament.
It added that "looking ahead, the board will make decisions in the best interest of Pakistan cricket based on the team's performances in the World Cup."
For the first time since the 1999 World Cup, Pakistan has lost three successive matches in CWC and lost to South Africa after 24 years. They also lost to Afghanistan for the first time in ODIs and got hammered by arch-rivals India in front of more than 130,000 fans.
Reacting to the same tactics of the PCB, a senior Pakistan player revealed that the board wants the team to fail in the World Cup so that they can regain control.
"The board wants the team to fail, they don't want us to win the World Cup just so that they can make the changes and take control of who leads the team and who gets into the team," a senior player told Cricbuzz.
In an interview with Geo Super ahead of the World Cup, PCB chairperson Zaka Ashraf had already stated that there could be some "sakth (tough) decisions taken" based on the performance of the team at the World Cup.
Mickey Arthur, the Pakistan team director, also said that the board is blaming everybody including the players.
The PCB has had three chairpersons and five selectors at the helm over the last year - a period in which three Prime Ministers have taken turns to run the country. Another fresh national election is expected soon. Zaka Ashraf's ongoing tenure as the chairperson of the board could come to an end on November 5, unless some final roll of the dice can secure him an extension.
The general sense of chaos has been enhanced by talk of a dressing room feud. Pakistani cricket show Pavilion host stated that, to his knowledge, many of the leaks from the dressing room fights were being made by agents of players within the team.
"Whatever fights or arguments or disagreements we have within the team are quite common. We are all old and mature enough to deal with it by ourselves. We don't need external interference. We understand what this tournament means to us, and that we have to play together to win it. But it doesn't help when the talks within the dressing room get leaked outside by people with selfish interests within the board and are blown out of proportion. We try to stay away from all this, but I would be lying if I said all the talks on social media and by ex-cricketers don't affect us,” the senior Pakistan player added.
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On top of this, though the players signed their new three-year deals, the players haven't received their match fees and monthly retainers for the last five months.
"It's not the best environment. We're locked up in our hotels for long durations, getting booed at some grounds, and getting criticized by our fans and ex-cricketers because we're not getting the results that we want. Yet we're working hard, practicing every day to win the World Cup for our country. Yes, a lot is not going our way at the moment, but at a time when we need the support of our board, they are creating more trouble for us.
That letter (press release) by PCB was unnecessary. If the captain and the selector won't pick the team, then who else will? We've come here to play the World Cup, and they are busy playing politics. Who do we fight first - our opponents or our board? They've been doing this for a long time, all for self-serving and selfish reasons. After trying to cause this discord, I want to see how our chairmansaab looks us in the eye when we meet him after returning to Pakistan, that is if he manages to hold on to his position till then,” the unnamed player said.
(Cricbuzz report)