Talib unhappy with Pak players’ fitness level

KARACHI: Former international athlete and former trainer of Pakistan hockey and boxing teams Mohammad Talib on Thursday raised questions over the fitness level of the country’s players in general.

“Fitness has been a big issue of Pakistani players in general,” the former 110 metre hurdler told ‘The News’ in an interview.

“Even foreign cricket coaches have also acknowledged the talent in Pakistan but they always have been seen dissatisfied with the fitness of national cricketers,” Talib said. “The big problem is that the services of those people are not utilised here who are skilled and know how to develop fitness side of the players which is the cardinal factor for a successful career of an athlete,” Talib said.

“There are eight components of fitness and if a single is ignored the athletes may get injured. They are stretching, flexibility training, strength, speed, endurance, equal variant, agility and body fate percentage,” said Talib, who has also been bestowed with Tamgha-e-Imtiaz.

“You will see a few doctors and physiotherapists working with the teams in Pakistan because of their links. Those who can improve fitness level of the players are always neglected. Pakistan also hired foreign trainers for various teams but still the outcome of the same outfits and players remained much behind from being ideal,” Talib said.

Talib said that he is still ready to train any team or any player if any federation or Board wants him to do.

He also warned Pakistan players who are training in lockdown without trainers and coaches, saying they might get injured. “Experienced players may train safely and according to the rules but young players may get injured in gyms if they train without the supervision of trainers and coaches,” Talib said.

Talib also mentioned Pakistan’s former bowling coach Azhar Mehmood who has said that Hasan Ali injured himself in gym rather than working on the field.

Azhar has said that Hasan tried to lift 130 kg weight instead of 100kg and that caused his injury in the gym.

“You cannot train on your own unless you know exactly the way how to train. It is the responsibility of the coaches and trainers to train their players only under their supervision. Any wrong exercise may pose a real threat to a player’s career,” Talib said.

“In lockdown players should take care while training.They should keep in mind the nature of their environment where they train at their homes. If the surface is level or not. The surface which is not level may injure a player,” Talib said.

“Those who undergo training on stairs should keep in mind their stairs are of standard quality or not. And they also must see that their stairs are of standard length or not. If not they should avoid training on them,” he said.