Pakistan cricket team director, Mohammed Hafeez, is facing criticism from some players for his excessive involvement in the team’s coaching and management during the tours of Australia and New Zealand. According to media reports, Hafeez holds long and repetitive meetings and lectures that make the players restless and bored.
Hafeez, a former Pakistan captain, was appointed as the director by the chairman of the cricket management committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) before the Australian tour. He was supposed to oversee the team’s performance and provide guidance and feedback to the coaches and players. However, some players feel that he is overstepping his role and interfering in the coaching and selection matters.
One of the sources of discontent among the players is the perceived discrimination in granting No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to participate in foreign leagues. While some players like Shadab Khan, Azam Khan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi were granted NOCs for the International League T20 in the Emirates, others faced delays when seeking permission for the Bangladesh Premier League, allegedly due to Hafeez’s intervention. Hafeez has been granted the authority by the PCB to decide on NOCs for players participating in foreign leagues.
Another issue that has irked the players is Hafeez’s tendency to give coaching tips to various players, including wicketkeeper Azam Khan and spinners, despite having a full-fledged coaching staff. Some players feel that Hafeez is undermining the authority and expertise of the coaches, especially the foreign batting coach, Adam Hollioake, who is reportedly unsettled by Hafeez’s involvement in various aspects of the team’s functioning.
The discontent within the team raises questions about the distribution of coaching responsibilities and the impact on the players’ morale during crucial tours. Pakistan has lost both the Test and ODI series against Australia and is currently trailing 0-1 in the three-match T20I series against New Zealand. The team will hope to bounce back in the remaining two matches and end the tour on a positive note.