Xtra Time Web Desk: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has lashed out at the food habits of Sarfaraz Ahmed and his team ahead of the forthcoming ICC Cricket World Cup in England. Speaking at a function last night the World Cup winning cricketer said, “Pakistani players are still being served biryani and you cannot compete against champions by feeding them biryani.”
The fitness of the Pakistani cricketers has always been a major area of concern. It was evident during the recent whitewash in the ODI series against Australia. The performance of Sarfaraz Ahmed and his team post winning the Champions Trophy in 2017 has been on a downslide. In the last couple of years, Pakistan lost ODI series against New Zealand, South Africa and Australia in addition to a dismal Asia Cup outing in September 2018.
Coach Mickey Arthur too raised concerns about the fitness of some players post the series loss against Australia. According to the Pakistan coach, “I think on this tour, our fitness standards and our fielding were not where they needed to be.”
The Pakistan cricketers will be attending a fitness camp on April 16 and 17 at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, ahead of the team gets picked for the World Cup on April 18.