Cricket greats to interact with team online

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan cricket greats including Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram will hold online sessions with current and emerging red and white-ball cricketers to help them remain focused and make optimum use of time during lockdown.

The sessions have been arranged by the national team’s management in collaboration with the PCB’s (International Cricket Operations) as they are looking at this novel way to ensure its elite players and future prospects remain connected with the game during these testing times. Apart from Javed and Wasim, Mohammad Yousuf, Moin Khan, Mushtaq Ahmed, Rashid Latif, Shoaib Akhtar and Younis Khan will also share their insight about the game.

The sessions will be run category-wise with Javed, Yousuf and Younis speaking with around 21 batsmen in three different sessions while Wasim and Shoaib will be giving lectures to 13 fast bowlers. Six spinners will attend the session to be run by Mushtaq while Moin and Rashid will hold sessions for five wicketkeepers.

Javed will set the ball rolling when he delivers his lecture today (Monday) afternoon. Wasim will connect with the fast bowlers on Tuesday, followed by the sessions of Rashid and Mushtaq with the wicketkeepers and spinners on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

Pakistan head coach and chief selector Misbahul Haq said: “I am grateful to these distinguished cricketers who agreed to share their experiences with our young and emerging stars. These stalwarts have many inspirational and motivational stories to share with the young group and I want the current players to absorb what they take from these world-class performers.”

“We have to plan with a mindset that England series will go ahead. A number of these greats have been part of series-winning sides in England and, therefore, their insight into how to plan and prepare for that series will be invaluable.” “The online lectures will not be limited to these cricketers and we’ll hopefully be requesting a few more, depending on their availability and our requirements.”

Javed Miandad said: “I look forward to engage with these players and hope I will be able to give them another perspective which can enhance their individual and team performance.”

Rashid Latif said: “Wicketkeepers have an enhanced role in modern day cricket. Now, they are expected to contribute with the bat as well, something Moin and I did successfully in the 90s.” Naseem Shah, the youngest to take a Test hat-trick, said: “This is an exciting initiative. I can spend whole week listening to these greats. They have been role models for most of us and sharing their success stories with us is a brilliant idea.”