Hafeez claims low priority on team fitness by Babar Azam and coaches ahead of ODI World Cup (WATCH)

Former Pakistan cricket director Muhammad Hafeez has alleged that ex-captain Babar Azam and coaches Mickey Arthur and Grant Bradburn gave low priority to team fitness in the lead-up to the ODI World Cup.

Former Pakistan cricket director Muhammad Hafeez has alleged that ex-captain Babar Azam and foreign coaches Mickey Arthur and Grant Bradburn prioritized team fitness the least in the lead-up to the ODI World Cup in India. Hafeez, who was not retained by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after disappointing tours of Australia and New Zealand, claimed that when he took charge as team director, he discovered that fitness was not considered a priority, with players allowed to play as they wished.

The revelation shocked Hafeez, who emphasised the importance of fitness in modern-day cricket. He also shared concerns about players' body fat levels and endurance, stating that tests in Australia revealed subpar fitness standards. Hafeez recalled that during the Champions Trophy in 2017, fitness was given top priority, leading to the exclusion of a player (Umar Akmal) who failed a fitness test. Additionally, Hafeez mentioned the effort it took to convince Babar Azam to shift from his opening slot to bat at number 3 in T20 cricket, a decision that took three months to materialise.

"When I took over as director (in 2023) and we reached Australia, I told the team trainer to give me a report on the players' fitness standards and prepare a new fitness regimen," said Hafeez.

"He told me that the former captain (Babar) and head coach (Arthur) had told him six months ago that fitness is not the priority at the moment and let the players play as they wanted," Hafeez revealed on the ARY sports channel.

"This was shocking news for me when he (team trainer) told me that he was told to not check the players fitness," added Hafeez.

"Fitness in modern-day cricket is top priority for all teams."

"The players' skin fold (body fat level) was one-and-a-half points above the normal limit," he alleged.