Fielding drills using old mattress? Fans slam PCB for poor fielding standards

Fans on social media slammed the Pakistan Cricket Board for using age-old fielding techniques to sharpen the skills of its players in the off-season. Pakistan, who were knocked out in the group stage of the T20 World Cup 2024, went back home from the United States of America and have been preparing for the bilateral series, set to be played later this year. In a video that has been viral all over social media, a few of the Pakistan players were seen practising their dive on an old mattress. The fans called out PCB for their infrastructure and blamed the board for the team's poor standards.

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Pakistan were terrible in the field in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024. The Pakistan side lost against the USA and India in their first two matches of the tournament and were knocked out of the competition. Against the USA, Pakistan lost in the Super Over, while against India, Pakistan failed to chase down just 120 runs.

The fielding standards came under scrutiny due to Azam Khan's poor performance in the field as well as the team giving away silly overthrows in the Super Over vs USA. The fans rightly called out the facilities used for top athletes in the world, despite Pakistan being one of the biggest earners in the ICC calendar.

How PCB sabotaged Pakistan's T20 World Cup campaign

Pakistan players doing fielding practice with bed mattresses. Do top teams like India, England, South Africa, Australia or England also train like this? This is why we are so much behind. It hurts ??????????????pic.twitter.com/6hcJc5zgkZ — Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) July 3, 2024

Imam-ul-Haq and others having special fielding drills with coach @Masroor173 in Pre Season Fitness Camp in Karachi pic.twitter.com/zL9qrwGVba — Shahzaib Ali ???? (@DSBcricket) July 2, 2024

They are making a joke out of themselves.

No wonder PCB is in a clown state. — Rahul ???? ???? (@tweets_Sky33) July 3, 2024

Evolving.. just backwards — Kasi mama (@Kasi_mama_) July 3, 2024

PAKISTAN'S PRE-TOURNAMENT MILITARY CAMP

The PCB has been called out by the fans much before this incident. Fans were frustrated with the board asking the players to train in an army camp ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. Pakistan team was asked to go to the army camp due to their poor fitness levels. In the camp, the team was seen climbing ropes, and trekking the hills with stones above their head, things not usual seen in modern training regimes.

Under the captaincy of Babar Azam, Pakistan failed in back-to-back ICC tournaments - ODI and T20 World Cups, in less than 8 months.

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