Aqib Javed lashes out at PCB, says current crop of players are like wrestlers than cricketers

Former Pakistan pacer Aaqib Javed has lashed out at the Pakistan team management for not having a proper policy or plans in place for the national team. He also took a direct dig at the national team players calling them wrestlers more than cricketers in the current T20 team.

The former fast bowler had earlier worked with the Pakistan U 19 team as the head coach and the senior team as the bowling coach. He also raised question marks on the fitness levels of certain players and how they were making the squad.

"They don't know what they are doing or what is their direction. I see more wrestlers than players in the T20 team. There are question marks over the fitness of Sharjeel Khan, Azam Khan, Sohaib Maqsood for international level," Aaqib Javed was quoted as saying by the Geo news channel.

Pakistan is currently in the UK preparing for a three-match T20I series. They were annihilated by a second-string England side 3-0 in the recently concluded ODI series. Aqib Javed criticised the team management’s decision to bring back Sohaib Maqsood to the national squad on the basis of his performance in the PSL without knowing his proper batting position and where he would feel comfortable playing.

"If you look at the team they have several players of similar nature or for one position. Is this the way to move forward," he asked. Aaqib Javed lavished praise on the England limited-overs side for having a set and clear vision about white-ball cricket.

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Rashid Latif says it was a blunder to sack Sarfaraz Ahmed and Mickey Arthur

Former Pakistan Test skipper and a wicket-keeper batsman Rashid Latif has come hard at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and said that it was a blunder on their part to remove Sarfaraz Ahmed and Mickey Arthur from the post of a captain and a head coach after the team’s elimination in the 2019 World Cup. “Why was Mickey Arthur removed…what was the reason for his sacking? The team had done well under him and it was progressing well. Check the records and you can see but he was removed because of politics,” Latif said on the YouTube Cricket Baaz channel. He further added that even Sarfaraz under whose captaincy Pakistan won the 2017 Champions Trophy also didn’t deserve to be removed from the captaincy role. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had sacked Mickey Arthur following Pakistan’s failure to reach the 2019 World Cup semi-finals. Meanwhile, Sarfaraz Ahmed was removed from his post in October-November 2019 following their 0-3 drubbing in a T20 series at the hands of a second-string Sri Lankan side. Sarfaraz and Arthur were at the helm of affairs when Pakistan lifted the ICC Champions Trophy back in 2017. “I don’t blame Misbah-ul Haq, perhaps he didn’t want to be head coach. He was young and inexperienced as a coach so why appoint him? It is the PCB to be blamed for what has happened,” Latif said. Latif felt that following Arthur and Sarfaraz’s sacking, the team had undergone several changes which hasn’t augured well for Pakistan cricket. “Today we have lost to a second string England team badly in the One-Day series which means that our cricket is not good enough to even beat England’s bench strength,” Latif added. Latif is hopeful of the fact that Pakistan can bounce their way back in the T20I series which will be a part of their preparation for the T20 World Cup slated to be played in UAE and Oman in October-November. “Let’s just hope they can bounce back because we can’t afford any more setbacks,” Latif concluded.

PCB requests New Zealand to play additional two T20Is during their tour

The Pakistan Cricket Board has requested the New Zealand team to play two extra T20Is when the Blackcaps will tour the country later this year. The Kiwis are slated to play three T20Is and three ODIs during their tour to Pakistan in September-October which would be their first visit to the Asian nation since 2002. “Yes negotiations are being held with Cricket New Zealand to play two additional T20 matches because of the World T20 Cup but nothing is finalized as yet,” a source said. The PCB is scheduled to host a number of teams in 2021/22 calendar which includes New Zealand, Australia, West Indies and England. West Indies are likely to play in Pakistan in December while the Aussie side will be travelling in Feb/March 2022. Apart from this, England will also be touring Pakistan in October and this would be their first tour since 2005/06. Australia would be sending a reconnaissance delegation to Pakistan to take a look at the arrangements. The Australian side hasn’t toured Pakistan since 1998. The Babar Azam-led Pakistan team is presently touring England for limited-overs fixtures. They lost the three-match ODI series 0-3 and will now begin the T20I series on Friday (July 16, 2021).

Rishabh Pant visited dentist, could have picked the virus from clinic: Reports

India wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant had tested positive for Covid-19 on July 8 and has been under isolation since then. As per a TOI report, the reason behind Pant’s testing positive for the disease could be his latest visit to the dentist. The aggressive left-handed batsman had visited his dentist on July 5 and 6. “Pant had gone to a dentist on July 5 and 6, and could have picked the virus from the clinic. On July 7, he had been vaccinated," a source told TOI. Apart from Pant, Wriddhiman Saha, batsman Abhimanyu Easwaran and bowling coach Bharat Arun had also isolated themselves after coming in close contact with the throwdown specialist who tested positive. “Pant, who had not stayed in the team hotel during the break period, tested positive on 8th July. He is asymptomatic and currently undergoing self-isolation at the place where he reported positive. He is being closely monitored by the BCCI Medical Team and is on his way to recovery. He will be able to join the squad in Durham after returning two negative RT-PCR tests,” said the BCCI press release. The Indian team is slated to play England in a five-match Test series beginning on August 4 in Nottingham.

SL vs IND | Kusal Perera ruled out of entire series, Binura Fernando out of ODIs

Sri Lanka ODI skipper Kusal Perera has been ruled out of the upcoming ODI and T20 series against India after suffering a shoulder sprain in the training, Sri Lanka Cricket said in its media release. Perea was appointed the skipper of the side earlier this year before the tour of Bangladesh and he has not been able to guide the side to any success in the format. In the recently-concluded series against England, Perera failed miserably with the bat and so did the side against an all-strength home side. There were speculations about his sacking from the post of captain as well before the series against India because of his leadership of players in a tussle against the board. Apart from Perera, fast bowler Binura Fernando has also been ruled out of the ODI series against India due to an ankle injury. As per the SLC media release, the pacer suffered a lateral ligament sprain. As per media reports, all-rounder Dashun Sanaka were to be the skipper of Sri Lanka for the series against India in case Perera had to face the ire of the board. However, the team for the series against India has not been announced yet by the SLC.