LAHORE: The future of Pakistan captains Babar Azam and Shan Masood will not be a point of discussion during the forthcoming Connection Camp — a meet planned by the country’s cricket board in order to brainstorm solutions amid the team’s recent downfall — an official of the body told Dawn on Sunday.

The event, scheduled for Sept.23, in fact, will be mainly aimed at reviewing the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) policies rather than the national team’s issues, and will be attended by Pakistan’s respective white-ball and Test coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie as well as the mentors of the recently-introduced five Champions Cup sides among other officials.

Their recent historic 2-0 Test whitewash at the hands of Bangladesh under Shan’s captaincy became the latest blow in Pakistan’s disastrous run since the last 12 months, which has seen the team go down against the likes of Afghanistan and the United States in the 50-over and T20 World Cup tournaments, respectively with Babar as white-ball skipper.

The series of shocking results has put the PCB under fire, with criticism being directed at the board from all quarters. That the Connection Camp’s participants are the board’s employees, it may keep them from discussing the prevailing issues from an independent point of view, also given that most of them had held positions in the PCB in the last three to four years, a source told Dawn.

“There have been a number of changes in the team’s captaincy in the past few months, also affecting the team’s unity, which is why the issue will not be discussed [during the Connection Camp],” the PCB official, on the basis of anonymity said.

The official argued why PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had invited the same people in the event who has been in and around the system during the last three years, the period, as he had admitted in a press conference on Saturday, which saw the team crumble.

“Why has he gathered around the likes of Waqar Younis, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, Saqlain Mushtaq and Khurram Niazi — as the domestic cricket head? the official enquired. “All of them had held positions in the last three years.”

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the Connection Camp will be attended by Mohsin and around a dozen centrally and domestic contracted players as well as PCB’s executive team.

“Vision of the Connection Camp is to discuss and agree what type of cricket do we want to play, what type of culture do we want to create and operate in, and what do we want to be perceived as by fans, peers,” the PCB official said, hoping the exercise will reap benefits.

“Through the Connection Camp, the PCB will be aiming to achieve successful outcomes, including alignment around a unified vision and shared purpose, enhance communications and trust and develop commitment to accountability while also strengthening team cohesion.”

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2024