Pakistan coach Grant Bradburn dismissed claims that his players haven’t been paid in five months on Monday. Despite the Green Shirts’ poor performance at the ongoing mega tournament, saying instead that the squad is determined to save their faltering World Cup campaign. The Men in Green need a win against Bangladesh on Tuesday to keep alive any shred of hope they have of advancing past the group stage of the World Cup 2023.
World Cup 2023: Pakistan cricketers unaffected by ‘no pay for five months’
Pakistan’s journey to the mega tournament has been hampered by disagreements over pay and delays in agreements over central contracts, and the team has lost four of their first six games. On Monday, AFP was told by three members of the team that they had not been paid.
Contracts have been sent to India and signed by the players, according to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The PCB said that would pave the way for payments to be arranged. Bradburn, a former all-rounder for New Zealand, has said that the team’s performance in the World Cup has been dismal due to the fact that they have lost to India, Australia, Afghanistan, and South Africa after previously beating the Netherlands and Sri Lanka.
Teammate Bradburn admitted, “We’re in a position that we didn’t want to be,” as his squad has a dismal -0.38 net run-rate. We wanted to be in charge of our own fate at this point in the tournament, but we’re not.
Bradburn, on the other hand, would not criticize umpire Alex Wharf for not calling a leg-before decision when South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi was bowled by Haris Rauf with only eight runs needed to win. Friday in Chennai, South Africa won by a single wicket, sending the crowd into a frenzy, only to have the decision overturned as a “umpire’s call” after a review.
Even though the Tigers have lost five straight and will be eliminated if they lose again on Tuesday, Bradburn says Bangladesh will still be a formidable opponent. Bradburn emphasized the country’s great regard for Bangladesh.
Pakistan has dominated Bangladesh in one-day internationals, with a 33-5 record. Bangladesh, on the other hand, has won four of the teams’ last six meetings.
Official Statements
“In terms of the noise around the team, look, playing for Pakistan and working within this team is a huge privilege,” Bradburn told reporters on Monday.
“To prepare ourselves and give our best are the things that we focus on, the things within our control and there are great expectations and we’re desperate to make our nation proud.”
“That hurts the group and all we can do now is control what we can control, and that is prepare well for three remaining pool games and then allow fate to be hopefully leaning on us in terms of our semi-final hopes from there.”
Since they can’t play in the Indian Premier League, a lucrative Twenty20 franchise league that has made instant millionaires out of countless foreign stars, the team’s financial woes have only worsened.
“The easy answer to that (the umpire’s call) is that we try to keep our attention on the things we can influence. And look, the umpires call the shots; it’s unfortunate for us, but that’s how the game goes.
“They’re a quality group of cricketers but we are well prepared for them,” Bradburn stated.
