‘Relieved of captaincy, Babar will do better’

LAHORE: Mohammad Hafeez, Pakistan’s newly appointed team director, has said relieving Babar Azam of captaincy responsibilities will allow him to fully focus on his batting, potentially leading to even more impressive performances.

During a press conference in Lahore, Hafeez elaborated on his views: “As a batsman, Babar Azam has made immense contributions to Pakistan cricket. Not being captain will reduce pressure on him. Captaincy definitely adds pressure, and if someone denies that, they are wrong. With that pressure eased, I think Babar’s performance will get even better. He has already been making excellent contributions, and I think he will further enhance his performance to help Pakistan achieve success.”

Addressing the NOC policy for Pakistani cricketers, Hafeez announced the impending release of a clear and comprehensive policy to guide the issuance of No-Objection Certificates (NOCs). He emphasised the need to balance participation in foreign leagues with national commitments, ensuring that players are well-rested and focused for international assignments.

“We will soon come up with a clear NOC policy that will be made public. When you’re offered a central contract, the FTP of all three formats is kept in mind, and players getting central contracts should be available for Pakistan,” Hafeez stated.

Acknowledging the growing popularity of leagues, Hafeez stressed the importance of managing workloads to prevent fatigue and injuries. He emphasised the need to prioritise domestic cricket, particularly red-ball cricket, as it forms the foundation of a player’s skills.

“We have leagues as well, but we saw a lot of talk in the World Cup that players were fatigued due to heavy workloads. We have the T20 World Cup in mind going forward, and the NOC policy will keep Pakistan’s priorities in mind. If we want fit players, we need to manage workloads,” he explained.

“We also need to bring playing domestic cricket in Pakistan to the top of our priorities. Red-ball cricket is the most important cricket, but we’re seeing many players in Pakistan are moving away from or don’t want to play red-ball cricket. To bring focus back, we’re going to take some measures. Perhaps some people will feel they’re a little harsh, but this is important to save Pakistan cricket,” Hafeez asserted.