Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi met players participating in the HBL PSL at a local hotel and discussed various issues concerning Pakistan cricket on Tuesday.
Naqvi individually greeted each player and exhanged handshakes with the players. He addressed the Pakistani players, stating that he does not want to criticize anyone, and emphasized the common mission of winning.
“We all have one mission, and that is to win,” Naqvi said. Naqvi emphasized that all players will now be selected exclusively on merit. “No more favoritism; good players won’t have to wait to be part of the team. Team selection will be based on merit,” Naqvi asserted.
Naqvi stressed the need to make sacrifices for the greater goal and urged players to prioritize playing for Pakistan.
“I’m not going to say you mustn’t earn money, or ask you to make sacrifices we are also not ready to make. But let me give you one example. One year ago, I was asked to become the chief minister of Punjab, and it caused me a financial loss in my business. I had to leave that aside and incur several extra costs. But I had a desire to represent Pakistan, and so I had to make that sacrifice.
“I will support you 100%, but I’ll just ask you to make Pakistan your first priority, and T20 leagues your second priority. It’s unfortunate when money becomes first priority and the country second. If you do that, then we might have a problem. We can even look at central contracts and bolster them further if you desire, but you must be available for Pakistan first and foremost.”
Talking about New Zealand tour to Pakistan and subsequent cricket tours and preparation for T20 World Cup, Naqvi revealed the camp dates and venue.
“We have New Zealand coming up, then Ireland, England and the T20 World Cup. I wondered, ‘When will we train?’ but there was no time. However, we’ve found a window, where we’ve organised a camp in Kakul (military academy) from March 25 to April 8. The Pakistan Army will be involved in your training, and hopefully, they’ll help you out,”Naqvi said.
Moreover, Naqvi also spoke about improving the cricket academy, upgrading stadiums, and allocating the Cricket Board’s funds for players.
“We’ll try to make the best available for you. I have told the PCB our job is not to save money or keep it hoarded away, but to spend it on cricket, from grassroots right through to the national team. The money will be spent on your fitness, training and coaches rather than keeping it locked away.”
“The coaching staff appointments are underway, and the best individuals will be selected for coaching positions,” he further added.
Chief Selector Wahab Riaz, Chief Operating Officer Salman Naseer, and other high-ranking PCB officials were also present at the meeting.—Agencies
