'Their tummies are visible, they can't move' - Misbah-ul-Haq lashes out at Pakistan players over fitness levels

Former Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq has slammed the narional team members over their fitness levels Misbah said that their tummies are visible and there is no fitness test set up for selecting players for the national team. 

The veteran batter also criticized Pakistan for their big loss against England during the warm-up game as he was not impressed with the players’ body language and said that only some players in the team take fitness seriously.

Clear cut, fitness issues are visible: Misbah-ul-Haq

“Clear cut, fitness issues are visible, Waqar left four times [as coach], I left once. Players like myself, Shoaib Malik, and Younis Khan were quite into fitness, and we used to push ourselves. Those who push others out of their limitations are not considered good trainers or good coaches. Their tummies are visible; their lower are heavy and they can’t move. The reason behind this is there has not been a single fitness test, there is no benchmark," Cricket Pakistan quoted Misbah as saying.

He also criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and said that the fitness test in Pakistan's domestic circuit has become a joke and none of the players take it seriously.

“Fitness test level during domestic season becomes a joke. We used to have arguments that we used to say that the standard used for the international level must be used for the domestic level as well. The responsible people at the domestic level always opposed us related to fitness," he added.

Meanwhile, the Men in Green will take on India in both teams' tournament opener of the T20 World Cup 2022. The high-octane clash will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on October 23 (Sunday).

The last time when both teams faced each other in an ICC event, Pakistan defeated India by 10 wickets at 2021 T20 World Cup. The Men in Green will want to replicate their performance in the upcoming match and have a perfect start to their campaign.