Unprofessional players should be barred from foreign leagues: Ramiz Raja
Unprofessional players should be barred from foreign leagues: Ramiz Raja.
ISLAMABAD (APP) – Former skipper Ramiz Raja has urged head coach Misbah-ul-Haq to bar those players from foreign leagues who were not willing to follow discipline and maintain fitness.
Amid reports that some players were unwilling to train according to Misbah’s standards, Ramiz said fitness was very important for a team’s success and Misbah should discard those players who have an unprofessional approach towards the game.
Ramiz, who represented Pakistan during the 1980s and 1990s, cited the example Australian trainer and physiotherapist Dennis Waight who worked with the West Indies team in the 1980s. “Dennis improved the fitness of West Indies players and made them understand how important it was for a team’s success,” he said and added Indian Skipper Virat Kholi was also a fitness freak.
“The cricket authorities should give points to players based on fitness and discipline. If any player, who doesn’t follow the requirement criteria, should be dropped from the team, as we need to set an example,” Ramiz said on his YouTube Channel.
Ramiz’s statement came after reports emerged that Misbah was displeased with the lack of professionalism by some players during training sessions as they were not training according to his plan. “Those players should also not be allowed to play foreign leagues,” Ramiz said.
Ramiz said Misbah who was also the chief selector of the national team needs to improve his management skills. “Misbah lacked the training like that of seasoned foreign coaches. Foreign coaches were taught on how to engage with players and convince them,” he said.
Ramiz, appeared in 57 Test matches, with a career average of 31.83, said Misbah needs to take a strong and clear decision that no compromise would be made on fitness. “He should tell the players that who so ever won’t listen to him would be dropped from the team,” he said and added that Wahab Riaz and Harris Sohail need to improve their fitness.
