Sports
No rift between players and fielding coach: PCB
Christchurch, Feb 18
The Pakistan Cricket
Board (PCB) Wednesday denied rumours of any internal rift between
players and the team management over the attitude of some players.
"It is clarified that the news is absolutely false and that nothing of the sort has happened," a PCB statement said Wednesday.
Earlier
in the day, Pakistan fielding coach-cum-trainer Grant Luden reportedly
tendered his resignation after being dejected over the attitude of three
cricketers -- Shahid Afridi, Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal.
"The
entire team trained together Wednesday where some players were put
through their paces by all coaches, with Mr Luden putting in an extra
hour on both days with a select group of players," the release said.
Pakistan
lost the Cup-opening match against India by 76 runs Sunday that
triggered a sense of crisis in the team, which heightened after reports
of Luden resigning surfaced.
But a PCB spokesman clarified that
Luden did offer to quit a few days before the start of the World Cup,
but that was for personal reasons.
But the team management
managed to convince him to withdraw his resignation after assuring him
that all his grievances will be addressed.
"A few days prior to
the start of the 2015 World Cup, Mr Luden had expressed his desire that
for personal reasons, he would want to be relieved of his duties some
time in May '15. Subsequently, as his issues were resolved, he took his
resignation back," the PCB spkesperson said Wednesday.
"The
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the team management as well as the boys
hold the job he is doing in high esteem, and are keen that he continues
to serve in his present role", added the PCB spokesman.
The Pakistan team is currently training in