"Poor organising and poor planning" - Mohammad Hafeez lashes out at BCCI for state of 2023 World Cup
Former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has lambasted the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over poor planning and organization of the ongoing 2023 World Cup. The retired Pakistan cricketer has accused the BCCI of shallow thinking for the competition.
The planning hasn't been the most accurate part of the ongoing World Cup. The schedule had been altered two months later after first announcing it on June 27, including the India-Pakistan clash due to the Hindu festival Navratri. While the lack of crowds has been concerning, Pakistan cricket fans lashed out at the BCCI for not ensuring the team's visas quickly.
Speaking on a local sports show, Hafeez said that he couldn't be more disappointed with what he had seen within four days of the tournament.
"We have seen the overall World Cup in just four days, till now, I have seen poor organising and poor planning from the organisers," Hafeez said. "The second biggest issue of this World Cup is the poor response from the crowd. When you are hosting a global event, then you have to make decisions globally [on a bigger scale]. You cannot make big decisions with a small small-minded approach."
One of the biggest controversies erupted during the Afghanistan-Bangladesh clash in Dharamshala when Mujeeb-ur-Rahman's knee got stuck in the surface while trying to protect the boundary. Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott warned that Mujeeb could have suffered a severe injury.
England skipper Jos Buttler also remains wary of playing at the venue against Bangladesh on Tuesday.
"It's not safe for the players" - Mohammad Hafeez on Dharamshala ground
Opining on the state of Dharamshala's ground, Mohammad Hafeez questioned the BCCI's silence on the same.
"No one has talked about it but Dharamshala’s outfield is a big question mark. It’s not safe for the players," he stated.
The 42-year-old also feels fans of every country deserve visas for the showpiece event and no one should struggle for it.
"It does not matter from where they are, fans of every single team should get visas. If you can’t deal this [an event as big as the World Cup] in a global way, then its impact will not be global," he continued.
Pakistan, meanwhile, opened their campaign with an 81-run win over the Netherlands in Hyderabad. They will face Sri Lanka in their second game on Tuesday.