ISLAMABAD: Former leg-spinner Abdul Qadir termed Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) fitness camp to be useless and stated that it will not provide any assistance to the national side in England.

Qadir was of the opinion that the players should have been given more match practice. "Instead of the camp the PCB should have formed four teams and have conducted matches among them," he said.

"The best players should have been inducted in the playing eleven for the series against England and the second-best should have been kept as standbys."

The leggie claimed that the cricket board believes he criticises them without a reason but his criticism involves solutions. "Criticism while providing a solution is a great idea I think," he added.

"We are in dire need of improvement in batting and bowling. The camp will only improve the fitness of the players."

Qadir urged the building of two teams in the future.

'Top Pakistani cricketers not educated'

Commenting on PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan's remarks about a lack of education in cricketers being the reason behind the team's decline, Qadir said that top cricketers in the history of Pakistan were not educated.

"Hanif Muhammad, Mushtaq Muhammad, Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Inzamam ul Haq, Younus Khan, Sarfraz Nawaz, Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar are some examples of the top players who were not very educated," he claimed.

'Shan Masood to do well in England'

Qadir said he has high hopes from opener Shan Masood in the series against England.

"Shan is said to be the fittest player in the PCB fitness camp which is very good for a player of his age, as his counterparts have failed to satisfy fitness trainers," he said.

'Head coach missing'

Talking about newly-appointed Head Coach Mickey Arthur, Qadir said that the board has gone ahead with the camp but the coach is yet to join the team.

"What can one expect from them [PCB]. The board is holding the camp for players and the head coach is missing from it."