Muhammad Masroor confirms his departure as Pakistan's fielding coach
Masroor, who held the position on a series-to-series basis, confirmed his departure through a message on LinkedIn, thanking players, colleagues, and fans.
'Though my chapter with the team ends here, I'll always be a part of Pakistan cricket's story,' he wrote. 'I leave with no regrets, only pride.'
The 49-year-old had been tasked with addressing Pakistan's long-standing struggles in fielding, an area that has often proved costly in major tournaments.
Despite pockets of improvement, the team's performance in key moments, including the ICC World Cup 2019, T20 World Cups, and the Asia Cup, continued to draw criticism.
Masroor, known for his work with Pakistan's Under-19 side and domestic teams, was seen as a coach with modern techniques and a strong developmental record.
However, the PCB's decision reflects its broader move to restructure the coaching setup ahead of a demanding international calendar.
As part of that restructuring, Australian coach Shane McDermott has been appointed as the new fielding coach. McDermott brings with him international experience from previous roles with Australia, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
In a related development, Grant Luden has returned as the team's strength and conditioning coach, a role he has filled in the past and is familiar with the players' fitness profile, as per media reports.
Pakistan's preparation now shifts toward the Asia Cup 2025, scheduled to be held in India. With match-ups against India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and potentially Afghanistan, the tournament will serve as an early test of the revamped support staff's effectiveness.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
7 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Muhammad Masroor confirms his departure as Pakistan's fielding coach
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has opted not to extend Mohammad Masroor's role as the national team's fielding coach, bringing his tenure to an end just weeks before the Asia Cup 2025. Masroor, who held the position on a series-to-series basis, confirmed his departure through a message on LinkedIn, thanking players, colleagues, and fans. 'Though my chapter with the team ends here, I'll always be a part of Pakistan cricket's story,' he wrote. 'I leave with no regrets, only pride.' The 49-year-old had been tasked with addressing Pakistan's long-standing struggles in fielding, an area that has often proved costly in major tournaments. Despite pockets of improvement, the team's performance in key moments, including the ICC World Cup 2019, T20 World Cups, and the Asia Cup, continued to draw criticism. Masroor, known for his work with Pakistan's Under-19 side and domestic teams, was seen as a coach with modern techniques and a strong developmental record. However, the PCB's decision reflects its broader move to restructure the coaching setup ahead of a demanding international calendar. As part of that restructuring, Australian coach Shane McDermott has been appointed as the new fielding coach. McDermott brings with him international experience from previous roles with Australia, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. In a related development, Grant Luden has returned as the team's strength and conditioning coach, a role he has filled in the past and is familiar with the players' fitness profile, as per media reports. Pakistan's preparation now shifts toward the Asia Cup 2025, scheduled to be held in India. With match-ups against India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and potentially Afghanistan, the tournament will serve as an early test of the revamped support staff's effectiveness.
Express Tribune
10 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Ali Tareen criticises PCB for ‘victory lap' over HBL PSL X
Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen has sharply criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for celebrating what it called a successful HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) season, accusing officials of ignoring pressing issues surrounding the tournament's decline in public interest and operational standards. In a series of posts on social media following the PCB's recent debriefing session in Lahore, Tareen dismissed the board's claims of satisfaction from stakeholders regarding HBL PSL X, saying the league's underlying problems had gone unaddressed. 'Applause? You must be kidding,' he wrote on X, referring to the PCB's video summary that praised the league's performance. Tareen cited poor television ratings, dwindling stadium attendance, and a slowdown in digital engagement as evidence that fan interest has declined significantly. Applause? You must be kidding. 📉 TV viewership is down 📉 Stadium attendance is down 📱 Social media growth has slowed 😵💫 Team logistics were shambolic 🤡 The draft was comical And they want a standing ovation? 🤔 Skip the victory lap and address the slide. Fans notice.… — Ali Khan Tareen (@aliktareen) July 3, 2025 Empty stands in Karachi were among the most visible signs of that disconnect during the 2025 season, yet the PCB has not shared any clear plan to reverse the trend. Tareen also took aim at the tournament's operations, describing logistics as 'shambolic' and branding the player draft 'comical.' Team Logistics was shambolic because every team had to split their own players and staff between 3 different hotels in the same city! 😵💫 Some teams were asked to change the location and date of their games mid season! 😑 (Before the attacks) And don't even get me started on the… — Ali Khan Tareen (@aliktareen) July 3, 2025 He argued that the league's planning failures had undermined its professionalism and damaged its credibility among fans and players alike. 'And they want a standing ovation?' he posted. 'Skip the victory lap and address the slide. Fans notice.' If I own a team or not, I'll always be a huge PSL fan. And seeing its decline hurts. — Ali Khan Tareen (@aliktareen) July 3, 2025 The remarks have reignited tensions between franchise owners and the board. Tareen has previously voiced frustration with the PCB's management of the league and has called for structural changes in how the PSL is run. His latest comments suggest that concerns among stakeholders remain unresolved, despite public attempts by the board to frame the season as a step forward. Exactly what we thought afterwards… No input from franchises, no brainstorming on declining attendance and TV viewership. Just a one-way meeting where the PSL management told us everything is GREAT! 🥰🥳🎉#TeamDelulu — Ali Khan Tareen (@aliktareen) July 3, 2025 While the PCB has promoted PSL X as a milestone year, Tareen's criticism reflects broader unease about the league's direction in a competitive sports market where audience loyalty cannot be taken for granted.
Express Tribune
18 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Aus confirms $2.2 billion funding for Brisbane Games
A view of the city skyline of Brisbane, the city which has been awarded the hosting rights for the 2032 Olympic Games. PHOTO: AFP The Australian government has confirmed it will contribute A$3.435 billion ($2.25 billion) towards the A$7.1 billion cost of building the venues for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, clearing the way for the start of construction. Queensland taxpayers and private finance will provide the balance of the money for the 17 new and upgraded venues for the Summer Games under the funding deal announced by state and federal governments on Thursday. "The Sydney 2000 Games left an incredible legacy and many Australians have memories that have lasted for decades," Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said in a statement. "We are ready to deliver a Brisbane 2032 games that will leave the same incredible legacy for Queensland. "The Australian government's commitment of A$3.4 billion towards the Games venues is the single largest contribution any Australian government has made towards sporting infrastructure in this country." Brisbane was awarded hosting rights for the Games in 2021 but political wrangling over the venues meant the final plans were not decided until March this year. Organising committee chief Andrew Liveris welcomed Thursday's announcement as a "significant shift in forward momentum". "I thank the Australian and Queensland governments for moving swiftly following the Australian government's recent return to office to agree on intergovernmental funding that will ensure physical works can get underway ..." he said. The main stadium, which is estimated to cost A$3.7 billion, will be built in the city's Victoria Park and seat 60,000 during the Olympics and 3,000 more for Australian Rules football and cricket matches after 2032. A new aquatics centre to host the swimming in 2032 will also be built nearby at an estimated cost of A$650 million. "Today's landmark agreement is the beginning of a new partnership that sets the pathway to deliver 2032 as the best Games ever," said Queensland's Deputy Prime Minister Jarrod Bleijie. "We've also launched procurement on four key projects to kickstart the delivery of world-class venues in the delivery plan. "I can also announce that we will start site investigations at Victoria Park for Australia's most exciting sporting precinct that will be home to the new main stadium and the new National Aquatic Centre." Liveris said in May that he did not think any ground would be broken on the two major new venues until the end of 2026. The federal government has already committed A$12.4 billion for local transport improvements that the Queensland government believes are necessary for 2032, the statement said.
