Had to play with those involved in wrongdoing, repeats Mohammad Hafeez
Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez believes that he had to play for Pakistan alongside some players who were involved in many wrong practices. Hafeez claimed that he tried to raise his voice against the wrong acts but was made to keep quiet and was threatened to get dropped from the side.
Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has not been in the scheme of things for Pakistan post the 2019 Cricket World Cup. Pakistan's dismal performances in the T20I series against Australia and Sri Lanka definitely show the need of an experienced player like Hafeez in the side but due to some reasons, he is ignored by the selectors.
In a chat with former teammate Shoaib Akhtar on the latter's YouTube channel, Hafeez revealed that he used to play with some players who were involved in many wrongdoings and controversies. He also claimed that when he tried to stop them and raised his voice, he was told to keep quiet if he wanted to play regularly for Pakistan.
"Those players are like my brothers and I do pray for them but what they did, I was against that," Hafeez told Akhtar.
"I raised my voice but I was told that they will play for Pakistan and if you wish to play as well, then you decide (what you want to do) and I was like really? So I went home and took advice as I did not want to spend giving away my positive energy for Pakistan. I continued along with all those players although that was wrong," he further added.
Hafeez hinted at some of the players that were involved in wrongdoing by saying that bringing back such players will never be a good idea for Pakistan. Pakistan's coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq is under severe pressure after his idea of bringing back the likes of Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shahzad in the T20I squad failed and Pakistan suffered back-to-back whitewashes against Sri Lanka and Australia.
Hafeez believes that for Pakistan to succeed as a team, there should be no controversies going on in the dressing room and all players should be completely concentrating on the cricket being played on the field. Akhtar too had earlier mentioned the lack of unity in the Pakistan team of his time and felt that he was playing with people who were fixing matches and thought of it as playing against 22 men, among which 11 were from his own team.
"I still say that it is wrong and it will never be fruitful for Pakistan. Bringing back any such player will never be fruitful for Pakistan," Hafeez concluded.
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