ICC T20 World Cup 2022: Ex-Pakistan skipper blasts Babar Azam-led side's fitness level; says 'tummies visible'
Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has slammed Babar Azam-led side for abysmal fitness levels and stated, "Their tummies are visible; their lower are heavy and they can't move."
FollowAhead of Pakistan's ICC T20 World Cup 2022 opener against arch-rivals India, former skipper Misbah-ul-Haq has lambasted the Babar Azam-led side for their abysmal fitness levels. Pakistan was handed a wake-up call in their warm-up clash against England as they failed to deliver in all departments, losing the match by six wickets.
The Pakistan XI roster included names like Shan Masood, Shadab Khan, and Asif Ali, among others, and superstars like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were absent.
While batting first, Pakistan was able to score 160/8, but England was able to complete the chase in just 14.4 overs.
Before playing India in the opening match on Sunday, they failed to impress Pakistan legend Misbah-ul-Haq with their fitness level.
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"Clear cut, fitness issues are visible, Waqar left four times [as coach], I left once. Players like myself, Shoaib Malik, and Younus Khan were quite into fitness, and we used to push ourselves. Those who push others out of their limitations are not considered good trainers nor good coaches," former captain Misbah-ul-Haq was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
"Their tummies are visible; their lower are heavy and they can't move. The reason behind this is there has not been a single fitness test; there is no benchmark," he added.
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"Fitness test level during domestic season becomes a joke. We used to have arguments that we used to say that the standard used for the international level must be used for the domestic level as well. The responsible people at the domestic level always opposed us related to fitness," he concluded.
