NEW DELHI:
Pakistan
cricket team's director,
Mohammed Hafeez
, is reportedly causing discontent among players due to his inclination for lengthy meetings and lectures during the ongoing tour of Australia and New Zealand.
The unnamed players express restlessness as they feel that repetitive information is being reiterated in these sessions.
"He holds very long meetings and gives long lectures and some of the players get restless because same things are repeated," one media report said.
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.
Despite being a part of the changes made in the coaching and selection setup after the World Cup, recent reports suggest that some players are unhappy with the extended meetings led by Hafeez.
The discontent among players also extends to 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.
Social media has circulated videos and pictures of Hafeez providing coaching tips, including keeping skills to Azam Khan and batting and bowling advice to spinners, prompting questions about his extensive involvement in the team's coaching responsibilities.
The reports also suggest that even the foreign batting coach,
Adam Hollioake
, is 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.
(With inputs from PTI)
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