Posted: Friday, November 3, 2023, 03:06 PM
Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur on Friday described the heightened security he faces at the World Cup in India as “suffocating”, giving players a sense of being “back in the Covid era”.
Arthur’s comments come a day before the team’s all-important match against New Zealand, which Pakistan will need to win to keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive.
Several Pakistani players have already suffered from fever and flu at other stages of the tournament, which fast pitcher Hasan Ali attributed to “nausea. “
Players can leave their hotel without enhanced security, requiring them to spend most of their time in hotel rooms.
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“As a Pakistani team, we play a lot of cricket, so being on tour is nothing new for those guys,” Arthur said.
“What’s been tricky is the fact that we’ve been subject to an incredibly high level of security. That’s why I’m a little surprised. “
“I found it difficult. It’s like we’re back in the Covid era, where you were isolated on your turf and in your team room. “
“So much so that their breakfast is in a separate room from the rest. That’s the hardest part. “
Pakistan is a tournament in India for the first time since 2016.
Arthur said outside of the game and practice, the team hasn’t had many departures since arriving in the last week of September.
“Children are used to travelling, but when they are travelling they still have the opportunity to faint and eat, for example in other places, and faint of their own volition.
“This time we didn’t get it right. And it’s been hard. It’s been pretty suffocating. “
Arthur said a decision has not yet been made on the flexible Shadab Khan who will play the remaining matches after suffering a concussion against South Africa.
“Shadab underwent an initial test today,” Arthur said.
“He’s done well, but we’re still in a position to make a resolution on it. “
It was Shadab’s third concussion, after colliding with a Sussex teammate in a Twenty20 attack in the UK in May 2023 and at the Asian Cup last year.
Meanwhile, Arthur admitted that Pakistan had taken advantage of its prospects in India.
“I’ll be absolutely honest, I don’t think we’ve played to our full potential yet in this tournament. I think the game was the opposite of Bangladesh, the first game where we had a complete game. “
Pakistan beat Bangladesh across seven wickets in Kolkata on Tuesday, their third win in seven games.
Now they only have to beat New Zealand on Saturday and protect champions England (Kolkata on November 11), although they also hope that other effects will favor them.
“We found ourselves in a position going into the game against Bangladesh where that was slipping away from us and, laughing, we’re back in our hands,” Arthur said.
Arthur admitted that South Africa’s 190-point loss to New Zealand on Wednesday gave them a lifeline.
“South Africa also did us a small favour, so they pushed us back, but it wasn’t to be, and we want to win big in the two games we have left,” he said.
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