Karachi: Pace Bowler Pakistan Mohammad Abbas has been placed in a backup list for a home test series against Australia following complaints to the body of the Apex cricket on issues related to fitness and attitude.
According to sources, the national team physiotherapist, Cliffe Deacon, filed a complaint with the Pakistan Ramiz King’s Cricket (PCB) chairman of Abbas’s attitude, which has so far played 25 tests.
“Apparently Deacon, who has been with the Pakistani team for a while now, told Ramiz that he was not happy with the Abbas approach for training and his bowling in the net,” said the source.
He said that Deacon complained that Abbas, 31, did not work hard enough during the training, which led to reducing his speed.
“The council then spoke to Abbas and he assured them that he would soon increase his speed and would also give full time on the schedule of fitness and team requirements,” added the source.
But team management, after receiving feedback from Deacon, decided to keep Abbas in a reserve until he improved his fitness and speed in the net.
“The pace of Abbas has dropped to around 123-125kmph which is not good enough for a new Bowler ball in a cricket test,” said the source.
He said that experienced sintering leg, Yasir Shah, has also been placed on reserves due to fitness and other problems.
“Yasir has also struggled with his fitness and it has influenced his bowling.
As a result he both and Abbas have been told to work extra hard to improve their fitness during training in Lahore for the Australian series,” he added.
Yasir fell from good books Board after his name was involved in a police case when relatives of a 14-year-old girl alleged that the player threatened them while trying to protect his close friend, who was accused of persecuting the girl sexually and made a video with the intention to squeeze it.
While relatives of the girl have dropped Yasir’s name from the complaint, this case was still delayed in court.