Team unity takes center stage at PCB’s ‘connection camp’ as players voice concerns

Pakistan cricket has reached a low point following an early exit in the T20 World Cup in the US earlier this year and a home Test series whitewash against Bangladesh. Problems like captaincy issues, fitness concerns, team disunity, and questionable management appointments have contributed to the current crisis.

In response, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) organized a "connection camp" on Monday to address these problems and explore potential solutions. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi led the meeting, which included COO Salman Naseer, coaches Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten, and was held at a local hotel in Lahore.

Key players attending the camp included white-ball captain Babar Azam, Test captain Shan Masood, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shadab Khan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Support staff, including assistant coach Azhar Mahmood and high-performance specialist David Reid, were also present, with PCB Chairman Naqvi leading the discussions.

‘Lack of unity’

During the session, players were encouraged to discuss the challenges they face, with a focus on team unity, poor performances, and managing their workload.

COO Salman Naseer explained that the camp's goal was to identify the problems together and develop a vision for the future. He noted that specific action items had been identified but withheld details for internal use only.

When asked about the team's disunity and underperformance, Naseer acknowledged that the lack of unity was a central issue discussed, not just within the team but also between players and the board.

"The session was about this, that we openly and candidly accept and identify [issues] and ask for a commitment from each other, demand it, on how we can improve our performances and how we work together as a team," Naseer said at a press conference in Lahore.

“The topic of unity wasn’t just limited to the team but also between players and the PCB. It was about what we can do together to be more successful. Our unanimous view was that we need to resolve this going forward and need to identify how we do it," he added.

PCB COO Salman Naseer, Test coach Jason Gillespie, and white-ball coach Gary Kirsten during a press conference on Monday in Lahore.PCB

Naseer refrained from revealing the details of the conversations that took place as they wanted to provide players a ‘safe environment’ to raise their concerns.

“We don’t want to reveal a lot since it was a safe environment for players to air out their grievances openly. So that we can come up with solutions for them,” Naseer said.

“Difference of opinion exist, which is a good thing. Our job is to listen to those opinions and channel them in such a way that it benefits Pakistan cricket,” he added.

The camp also raised eyebrows by including younger players like Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha, sparking speculation that they might be groomed for future leadership roles.

“The idea was to bring together players who are part of formats in all three formats and they [Salman Ali Agha and Saim Ayub] were not being considered among the elite group of players,” Salman said.

Naseer clarified that these players were involved because they participate in multiple formats, and their inclusion did not signal an elite status. The COO stressed that feedback from other players not present at the camp would also be gathered.

Coaches’ input

White-ball coach Gary Kirsten praised the camp, saying it was a great opportunity to align everyone towards the team's success across all formats.

"We all agreed that we want Pakistan to be as successful as possible," Kirsten said, adding that commitments around professionalism were discussed, with an emphasis on players representing the nation with pride.

White-ball coach Gary Kirsten and captain Babar Azam during the connection camp on Monday in Lahore.PCB

Kirsten highlighted the depth of talent in Pakistan cricket and stressed the need to harness this potential for future success.

Red-ball coach Jason Gillespie described the camp as a valuable opportunity for collaboration between players and management.

Both Gillespie and Kirsten, new to Pakistan cricket, found the discussions insightful and were optimistic about the team's future.

Gillespie emphasized the players' pride in representing Pakistan and their determination to succeed.

"The players care and are desperate to do well for Pakistan," he said, adding that the team was on a journey to improve together.