Pakistan team with Mohsin Naqvi. Image Credits: AFP
Pakistan cricket has hit its lowest as the Shan Masood-led side got embarrassed recently in Bangladesh. The Tigers handed Pakistan a 2-0 defeat in Tests, which brought embarrassment for Mohsin Naqvi and its board as their team slipped to 8th on the WTC standings.
Since then, there have been a lot of chatter in the dressing room hinting at major overhauls in the team. There are rumours that Shan Masood might be stripped of his captaincy. The latest development is that things are not well within the group, and the Pakistan players are unhappy with Mohsin Naqvi.
Pakistan Team Unhappy with PCB
A report from Telecom Asia stated that Pakistan players, particularly the bowlers, are unhappy with PCB for removing the long-associated team physio. For the unversed, the PCB recently relieved their physio Cliff Deacon of his duties after 8 years.
The South Africa international joined the Pakistan team in 2017 and has been pretty close with the team and shares a special bond with the players, which explains the revolt after his removal.
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The recently concluded Bangladesh series was Cliff’s last association with the Pakistan team, and he won’t be part of the dressing room for the upcoming home series against Australia. Notably, Iftikhar Ahmed has been appointed as the new team physio.
Why did PCB Sack Pakistan team physio after 8 years?
The Mohsin Naqvi-led board is yet to issue an explanation behind the move, but it is understood that the idea was pitched by PCB’s newly-appointed Director of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Javed Mughal, who was unhappy with Cliff Deacon, as there were a lot of injury concerns in the Pakistan team recently.
However, the report added that the players disagree with this explanation and stated that the physio was not responsible for players' long-term injury rehabilitation. A physio's role is limited to short treatment and the PCB doctors look after long-term rehab.
Pakistan Player Reveals Team Physios Impact For Team
“Deacon was ordered to leave by Mughal, and after the second Test, there was a farewell at the ground for Deacon, who sobbed during the formal ceremony and hugged most of the players,” a source was quoted as saying in the report.
“Deacon's work was great and effective, but people in the Board do not understand that it is not the job of a physio to oversee rehab of unfit players; he can only manage niggles, which he had been doing. Rehabs are done at the academy with all the facilities,” a Pakistan player reportedly said on the promise of anonymity to Telecom Asia.
At present, it is to be seen whether the PCB will act again on players' demand and reinstate the South Africa-based physio, who has worked with the likes of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf closely.
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