Pakistan Cricket Board will soon be declaring their squad for the upcoming 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup after a review meeting of its recent Asia Cup performance, said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday. The Men in Green came out to play the Asia Cup 2023 with the tag of being a top-ranked ODI side but then they could not manage to reach the final after they lost the game against Sri Lanka.
The PCB management met with Pakistan's team coaching staff led by Mickey Arthur, captain Babar Azam, vice-captain Shadab Khan, and former captains Misbah ul Haq and Mohammad Hafeez to assess the side’s performance in the Asia Cup 2023 on Wednesday evening.
Pakistan's chief selector, Inzamam ul Haq did not take part in the meeting due to a medical emergency but then he met Ashraf on Thursday afternoon and shared his insights. After the review meeting, Inzamam has decided the Pakistan squad for the mega event which will be announced on Friday morning in a press conference to be organised at Gaddafi Stadium.
"I am glad we had a good positive review session and are on the same page. We are confident that the experience gained in the Asia Cup was a learning curve and will help prepare for the ICC Men's World Cup.
"Our team is filled with talent, and we believe they have the capability to compete and win at the highest level. We have world-class batters and bowlers and are committed to providing them with the necessary support and resources to ensure they are well-equipped ahead of the mega event,” said Ashraf in a statement.
Head coach Grant Bradburn, batting coach Andrew Puttick, and bowling coach Morne Morkel were also asked to join the meeting in order to report on the team’s recent performance. The meeting was also graced by Dr Sohail Saleem to brief about players’ injuries and the way forward for players' rehabilitation programs.
"The philosophy behind this review was to create an atmosphere of open discussion and develop consensus. The idea is to have everyone on board and debate about performances, identifying the problems and their solutions. We have to debate strengths and weaknesses so that we are clear about what and where we need to invest for the betterment of our team.
"Discussion revealed that the previous management had allowed a lot of players to play league cricket which caused them to fatigued ahead of their national duty. But going forward we have agreed to form a proactive approach to tackle players workload and give national duty a priority," concluded Ashraf.