Pakistan team's future 'to be decided' on recommendations of PCB Connection Camp

Sources say meeting to be chaired by PCB chief, attended by Gary Kirsten, Gillespie, senior cricketers, others

By Sohail Imran
September 07, 2024
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi chairing a meeting of senior board officials in Lahore on July 15, 2024. —X/ TheRealPCB

LAHORE: A "Connection Camp" of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will decide the Pakistan team's future later this month, Geo News reported on Saturday citing sources.

The Connection Camp will comprise a meeting as well as a workshop to shed light on different aspects related to the national cricket team.

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The sources said the meeting will be presided by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and attended by white ball and red ball coaches, Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie, heads of high performance centres, senior cricketers, board officials as well as international and domestic directors.

The meeting is expected to take place on September 22, they added.

Decisions about fate of the team would be taken in light of the recommendations made in the Connection Camp, the sources maintained.

It should be noted that Kirsten had gone to his homeland after submitting a report to the PCB in July, whereas, Gillespie went back to Australia after the Bangladesh Test series fiasco.

The sources said the coaches of red ball and white ball cricket would hold a separate meeting among themselves.

Moreover, they said, ideas will be exchanged about replacing captains of the shorter and longer formats of the game as there are fair chances of replacement of the skipper for the white ball format. On the other hand, Test skipper Shan Masood’s captaincy will also be scanned.

A day ago, sources had told Geo News that wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan has emerged as the hot contender for the post of captaincy, though initially for the white ball cricket only.

The sources said that the PCB’s snubbing Babar Azam from captaincy in the Champions One-Day Cup was an indication that he might not stay the national squad’s captain in the longer run.

There was a fair chance of appointment of a new captain in place of the star batsman later this year, the sources said, adding that the appointment of new skipper for one-day international and T20 formats was likely ahead of the Australia tour, slated for November.

The sources said Rizwan’s name was likely to be discussed for the lead role. If agreed upon, the wicket-keeper might be appointed as captain for all the three formats in the future, they maintained.

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