PCB requests that participants order their priorities

Pakistan Cricket Team Director Mohammad Hafeez emphasized on Tuesday that players should represent Pakistan and play domestic cricket rather than competing in leagues throughout the globe in response to players shunning domestic sport.

All-rounder Imad Wasim recently decided not to play in the Pakistan Cup or the current National Twenty20 because he wanted to play in the Abu Dhabi T10, which begins today.

Later on, he declared his retirement, citing that pacer Haris Rauf should have played in a domestic event rather than the Big Bash League (BBL) as he had not received a nod of approval.

Hafeez emphasized that measures would be taken to preserve Pakistani cricket and that the management wanted players to understand the value of red-ball cricket.

“Representing Pakistan must be our first priority. Additionally, we must make playing domestic cricket in Pakistan our main priority. The most essential kind of cricket is red-ball cricket, but a lot of Pakistani players are moving away from or choosing not to play red-ball cricket, Hafeez stated at a news conference before leaving for the Test series against Australia.

“We’re going to take some action to regain focus. Maybe some would think they’re a bit severe, but this is necessary to preserve Pakistani cricket,” he continued.

“We can’t play any cricket till we can’t play red-ball cricket well. Long-form cricket helps you hone your fundamentals, and we plan to offer red-ball cricket players every opportunity to succeed. We need to bring someone back if they have strayed from this path in order for them to get better,” Hafeez insisted.

He stated that the PCB will shortly release the NOC policy, taking into account the workloads of the players.

“Players who receive central contracts should be available for Pakistan, and the FTP of all three formats is taken into consideration while making an offer. We also have leagues, but during the World Cup, there was a lot of discussion about how tired the players were from their intense workloads.”

“We are looking forward to the T20 World Cup, and Pakistan’s priorities will be taken into consideration by the NOC policy.” We must control workloads if we are to have fit players,” he insisted.

Hafeez, in the meantime, lavished admiration on Babar Azam for his contributions to Pakistani cricket.

“Babar Azam has really benefited Pakistan as a hitter. He won’t feel the burden of being captain. “Being a captain undoubtedly puts pressure on a cricket player; if someone disputes that, they are incorrect,” he continued.

“I believe that Babar’s performance will improve much more now that the burden is off. He has already been contributing greatly to Pakistani cricket, and I believe he will continue to improve in order to help Pakistan win,” he said