At times, even people playing sports can clash amongst themselves, causing chaos and making headlines. According to most recent news, the Pakistani Cricket Team has clashed with team director Muhammad Hafeez over several issues. It can be considered quite normal to disagree with the people in authority but to have key players of the entire team clash is a whole other thing. Tension within the Pakistani cricket team during the New Zealand tour is reportedly centered around NOCs for T20 leagues.
An NOC is a No Objection Certificate that lets the players take permission from PCB and play in various leagues that they wish to. Team director Mohammad Hafeez’s strict stance on granting NOCs, especially for the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), has caused discontent among players. Its keeping players on edge to have this stance, and tensions are at an all-time high.
Tensions Among Players With Hafeez
Players like Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Azam Khan received NOCs for ILT20, but Hafeez hesitated for BPL, risking players’ contracts. This form of selective NOC giving is what is causing all this havoc. However, Muhammad Hafeez maintains the stance that the players are getting quite exhausted or injured, thus risking team plays in the leagues, including BPL.
Senior players are unhappy with Hafeez’s extended discussions and interventions during team meetings, disrupting the team environment. They say that it tempers with the team spirit when a meeting or a discussion is suddenly intervened or extended beyond the allocated time. However, from Hafeez’s point-of-view, he might be looking for the betterment of the team, even if players do seem to disagree with it.
Keeping An Eye On Performance
The ongoing friction, still in its early stages, has the potential to escalate, and conflicting schedules add complexity, with the ILT20 final coinciding with the PSL 9 opening match. These clashes are also causing the players to reconsider which games they want to play and which ones they want to sit out in. Before the situation escalates, a solution needs to be found.
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