Hyderabad: Legendary pacer Wasim Akram has blasted Pakistan's national side for their poor fitness levels on display in the ongoing World Cup 2023 saying it looks like the Pakistan cricket players are consuming eight kg of mutton each day.
The team started their campaign in the World Cup on a positive note winning the first couple of games but they suffered a series of losses after that and Afghanistan were the latest side to topple Men in Green by eight wickets.
With the defeat, Pakistan's chances of making it to the semi-final took a hit and they will have to orchestrate a string of positive results plus the other results should also favour their chances to enter knockouts.
Pakistan's fielding and fitness level has been a major concern in the tournament and they are drawing criticism from the cricket fraternity for it. Wasim Akram has also blasted the national side saying that the players are looking like they eat eight kg of mutton every day.
"It was embarrassing today (on Monday)! Look at the fitness level of Pakistan players. We've pointed out that these players have not had fitness tests in two years! Their faces are bulging! Lagta hai roz ath ath kilo nihariyan khandene (Looks like they devour eight kilos of slow-cooked meat)," Akram said on a recent Pakistan TV show on A Sports.
"These are professional players, there has to be a criteria! When Misbah-ul-Haq was the coach, there were fitness criteria in place. Players hated him. But it worked! Fielding is all about fitness. That’s where we are lacking," added Akram, who was known as 'Sultan of Swing'.
With the loss, Pakistan slipped to fifth position in the points table and the Babar Azam-led team will require a lot of effort to enter the semi-finals.
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