World Cup: Is the non-payment issue lasting for several months impacting Pakistani players in the 2023 World Cup?

Coach Grant Bradburn emphasizes our focus on preparation and delivering our best.

KOLKATA: Pakistan’s coach, Grant Bradburn, downplayed concerns over his players not receiving payments for five months, emphasizing the squad’s determination to salvage their struggling World Cup campaign.

The Men in Green face the possibility of elimination in the group stage of the 2023 World Cup and must secure a victory against Bangladesh on Tuesday to maintain their slim hopes of reaching the semi-finals.

In addition to enduring four defeats in six games so far, Pakistan’s journey in the mega tournament has been marred by disputes regarding payments and delays in finalizing central contracts.

On Monday, three players from the squad confirmed to AFP that they had not been paid.

Bradburn stated on Monday, “In terms of the noise around the team, playing for Pakistan and being part of this team is a tremendous privilege.”

“We concentrate on preparing and giving our best – things within our control. There are great expectations, and we are eager to make our nation proud.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) asserted that contracts have been sent to India and the players have signed them, which should facilitate the arrangement of payments.

Former New Zealand all-rounder Bradburn expressed the team’s disappointment with their disappointing World Cup campaign, where losses to India, Australia, Afghanistan, and South Africa followed victories over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka.

“We find ourselves in a situation we didn’t want to be in,” said Bradburn, whose team also suffers from a poor net run rate of -0.38.

“At this stage of the tournament, we were determined to control our destiny, but we haven’t.”

Bradburn added, “This is painful for the group, and all we can do now is focus on what we can control: preparing well for the three remaining pool games and hoping that fate favors us in terms of our semi-final aspirations.”

The squad’s financial difficulties are compounded by their exclusion from the Indian Premier League, the lucrative T20 franchise league that has turned many international players into instant millionaires.

However, Bradburn insisted that the financial disparities do not intimidate his team. “We don’t feel isolated or overwhelmed by that,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, Bradburn refrained from criticizing umpire Alex Wharf for rejecting a leg-before decision against South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi off Haris Rauf when only eight runs were needed for victory in their previous match.

A review ultimately upheld the decision as “umpire’s call” before South Africa secured a thrilling one-wicket victory in Chennai on Friday.

Bradburn stated, “Our approach to umpire decisions is to focus on things we can control. Umpires regulate the game, and while such situations are unfortunate for us, they are part of the game.”

Despite Bangladesh’s recent struggles, Bradburn acknowledged that they would pose a formidable challenge. The Tigers have lost five out of six matches and will be definitively eliminated if they lose again on Tuesday.

“We hold Bangladesh in high regard,” Bradburn commented. Pakistan has won 33 one-dayers and lost only five against Bangladesh. However, Bangladesh has emerged victorious in four of their last six encounters.

“They are a talented group of cricketers, but we are well-prepared to face them,” Bradburn affirmed.