PCB chairman meets with domestic cricket stars

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi met with top-performing domestic cricketers on Sunday here at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), addressing their concerns and outlining measures to support their development.

The meeting came amid widespread criticism of the national team’s poor performance in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Pakistan’s early exit from the tournament, marked by losses to India and New Zealand and a washed-out match against Bangladesh, has sparked calls for reform within the PCB.

In a bid to revitalise the team’s fortunes, the PCB is considering giving young talent an opportunity in the upcoming tour of New Zealand, which begins on March 16.

Pakistan will play five T20 Internationals and three One-day Internationals during the tour.

During the meeting, players highlighted issues related to training at high-performance centers, fitness and diet plans.

“Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board Mohsin Naqvi had detailed discussions with the players regarding cricketing skills, performance, diet plans, fitness and training,” the PCB said in a press release

Mohsin instructed relevant authorities to address these concerns and ensured access to all academies for the players.

Special diet plans will be prepared for the players’ fitness, and trainers will be made available for their physical training, the PCB further added.

The PCB has established academies in Karachi, Lahore and Multan, but these institutions have been criticised for lacking comprehensive plans to nurture young talent.

The players who met with the chairman included: Muhammad Ali, Ali Raza, Ahmed Daniyal, Nisar Ahmed, Muhammad Ibtisam, Muhammad Salman, Afaq Afridi, Abdul Samad, Saad Masood, Khwaja Nafay, Maaz Sadaqat, Arfaat Minhas, Mubashir Khan, Haider Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Faisal Akram, Tahir Baig and Qasim Akram.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2025

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