KARACHI: As claims continue to surface against former and current Pakistan players while the spot-fixing hearing is underway in London, the team has been told to avoid the proceedings and concentrate on preparing for the tough upcoming series against Sri Lanka.
On the fourth day of the hearing, the court heard claims that former Pakistan players were involved in match-fixing in addition to banned players Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif. Earlier, three other Pakistan players had also been named in court.
However, Pakistan interim coach Mohsin Khan has instructed the players to concentrate on their game. “I’ve told them clearly to not discuss the issue,” Mohsin told The Express Tribune. “I’m pleased that the players are focused.”
Mohsin, appointed coach for the tour, said the assignment was a crucial one but added that the players were motivated enough.
“The body language of all the players is positive and they are showing good energy in the training drills,” said the former cricketer. Pakistan are due to play a full-fledged series against Sri Lanka in the UAE, beginning with the first Test on October 18. The two teams contest three Tests, five One-Day Internationals and a one-off Twenty20.
Besides having two training sessions each day, the players are also undergoing anti-doping and anti-corruption lectures after the training camp.
Meanwhile, Sarfraz Ahmed has also been called to the training camp. The wicket-keeper, who was named among the reserve players for the Test series, will miss the second round of Quaid-i-Azam Trophy.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 12th, 2011.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ