Pakistan cricket team’s ex-captain, Mohammad Hafeez, criticized the decision of national team’s fast bowlers who prioritized workload management instead of playing for the country during his short term as the Director of the Men’s cricket team.
Hafeez’s short-lived tenure, that lasted just three months, was a disappointing one where the national team lost a Test and T20I series down under.
He expressed disdain for the concept of workload management, which has become prevalent in cricket due to the demanding schedule and participation of players in multiple T20 leagues throughout the year.
Hafeez compared the current era to the era when he made his debut, and how such concepts weren’t present at that time.
Talking at a private TV channel’s panel discussion, Hafeez said: “I have played cricket for 18 years, but this is something we never heard in our days. It depends on the will of a player. If he wants to play, he will; otherwise, he will talk about his workload. I was with the team for two months, and it was difficult for me to understand the workload management. It is essential to manage the work of fast bowlers, but it doesn’t mean that he will bowl only four overs.”
Hafeez recalled the performance of West Indian fast bowler, Shamar Joseph, who bowled 12 consecutive overs in the recently concluded Test series in Australia. His bowling performance, 7 for 68, resulted in his country winning the Second Test match.
“Your practice and training should be hard enough to help you execute your plans in the game. When a batter scores a 100, 150 or 200, he doesn’t say that he is done and won’t carry on. Shamar Joseph bowled 12 overs on the trot. Thank God, the word workload management was not in his mind.”
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