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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) held a 'connection camp' to construct plans and help the players sail through the team's bleakest period in recent history.

The camp ended on Monday, September 23, with head coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie being present and adding their insights to the discussions. 

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Pakistan, who have been a shadow of themselves in the last 12 months are currently under huge pressure, particularly following their shocking 0-2 Test series defeat at home against Bangladesh.

Further, they had also suffered premature exits in the recent ICC tournaments starting from the ODI World Cup in 2023 to the T20 World Cup 2024, which saw them make plenty of rushed changes, which ended up backfiring on the team. 

Additionally, there have been reports of a lack of unity, ego battles among the players, which has led to low morale in the team. This meeting was set up to counter and fix these issues, to revive pride in Pakistan cricket again.

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What happened at PCB's 'Connection Camp'? 

PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, head coaches, captains Babar Azam and Shan Masood, and a few senior players were present at the 'Connection Camp' in an attempt to revive Pakistan cricket back to the helm. 

"Where the talk is of unity, it wasn't only about the team. It was between the team and management and how we can work together to do things more successfully. These were definitely part of the discussions. We talked about planning, we talked about workload management," Salman Naseer, PCB's Chief Operating officer revealed to the media.

Nasser also revealed that all parties involved demanded commitment from each other to improve individual performances for better teamwork. 

"The session was about this, that we openly and candidly accept and identify (issues) and ask for a commitment from each other, demand it, on how we can improve our performances and how we work together as a team," Naseer said at the press conference.

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What did Jason Gillespie say about the recent 'Connection Camp'?

Former Australian pacer and Pakistan's red-ball coach, Jason Gillespie also spoke about his learnings from the camp. He stressed on the need to improve together as a team.

There were tensions at the recent rejection of NOCs (No Objection Certificate) by the PCB for the star players to participate in overseas franchise T20 leagues. However, Gillespie revealed that the players were privileged to don the jerseys and play for their country. 

"Our job is to listen and learn and look to implement ways where we can be more effective as players, as a team, and as coaches. What was really clear today was the pride the Pakistan players have in playing for Pakistan," the 49-year-old stated after the camp. 

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What did Gary Kirsten say about the recent 'Connection Camp'?  

Pakistan's white-ball coach, Gary Kirsten stressed on the importance of the recent Champions One-Day Cup held by the PCB. The tournament was held in an attempt to garner fresh talent through the domestic circuit.

I've been here the last 12 days or so watching the Champions Cup and have been really encouraged at the depth of quality of players in this tournament, Kirsten said. It's been fantastic to see.

He also mentioned the level of competition among all teams and players. Even the likes of Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi have been a part of the tournament, as a preparation for the upcoming Test series against England. 

"I've really enjoyed the tournament. The quality of the competition has been high. Been great to see a lot of young players showcasing what they are capable of," Kirsten added.

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Author(s)
Mohit Khakhar Photo

Mohit Khakhar is a content producer for The Sporting News India.