LAHORE: Grant Bradburn, the head coach of the Pakistan cricket team, shared insights into the team's preparation for the upcoming ICC World Cup, emphasising team’s relentless pursuit of excellence.
In an exclusive interview to Geo News, Bradburn discussed various aspects of the team's performance, players' potential, and the importance of the Asia Cup in their quest for World Cup glory.
Bradburn expressed his satisfaction with the team's progress, highlighting the daily improvement he sees in his players. He acknowledged recent successes against Afghanistan and in the Asia Cup's early stages but stressed that the team hasn't yet showcased their best performance.
The head coach also added that the team needs to win trophies saying “if not now, when” and also backed the current squad of players by stating “If not our guys, then who?”
"We know as a group, we haven't put our best on the pitch yet," Bradburn remarked. "We really want to produce better and better results every day, and that comes from working hard and having the attitude that our skills are improving daily.”
When asked about areas that need improvement, Bradburn highlighted the middle phase of their innings as a focal point. He praised the team's batting and bowling performance in Multan but recognised the need to work on handling pressure during the middle overs, emphasising its importance in winning championships.
“Look, we're aiming to be the number 1 in the world in all formats of the game, so we have high expectations and high standards. We know we won't meet them every day, but as long as we're making strides in the right direction, that's the key for us. It's no secret that we've been working hard on the middle phase of our innings, and by and large, we're very pleased with what we saw in Multan in terms of batting and bowling,” he said.
“We were under pressure in Kandy in the middle overs and that's an area we're working hard on because it's vital to winning trophies. We're confident that we've made progress in those areas of the game, both in batting, bowling, and fielding, which wasn't up to our expectations in Kandy. But overall, we're looking to improve every aspect of our game,” he added.
Bradburn also expressed confidence in Pakistan's top-order batters, emphasising that they have the potential to be among the best in the world. He stressed the importance of trust, consistency in selection, and belief in their abilities.
Replying to a question, Bradburn said that having players like Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi in the squad is a privilege. He highlighted that behind the scenes, these players are humble human beings who work hard and take immense pride in representing Pakistan.
He added that the team is working hard to bring the Asia Cup trophy to Pakistan and make the fans proud.
Regarding the significance of the Asia Cup ahead of the World Cup, Bradburn highlighted that while they are playing for the bigger picture, they are currently focused on the present and continuous improvement.
He challenged his players to aim for the top ranking and stressed that they are not yet the trophy-winning team they aspire to be.
“We're playing for the bigger picture, but day-to-day, we're just focusing on the present. Right now, we're preparing to play tomorrow. We're trying to keep our feet on the ground and get better as a unit every day. We're challenging our players to improve their skills. We want to be the number 1 in the world, which means we need the very best skills. It's our firm challenge to our players each and every day that look what we've bought so far in the last few years, that has got us mid table,” he said.
“You know we're not we're not comfortable with where we've sat. We haven't won a World Cup since 92. We're longing to win a trophy. And if now if not now, when. If not, our guys, who else? So, that's my challenge to them now. I think individually we've got a fantastic team as you've. But we're not the trophy winning team that we want to be yet, but that's what we're working hard towards,” he added.
Regarding testing players and creating contenders for every position, Bradburn noted that they have been clear with players about expectations for performance. He emphasised the balance between competition and consistency and the importance of understanding the privilege of representing Pakistan.
“Our intention, since Mickey and I arrived in April, has been to create contenders for every position in this team. We haven't created contenders for every position, but we've created contenders for many positions. We're comfortable with the competition that exists within the squad. It makes the players understand that they are representing Pakistan, and there are expectations for performance. However, we'll also balance that with consistency. These players are humans, not machines. We're very clear with them about what's expected in terms of performance,” he added.
In conclusion, Bradburn reiterated the team's desire to bring trophies back home to Pakistan.
“We haven't won anything yet and you know the, the players have been going well, our results have been favorable. We've been working hard on our skills and we're confident that our skills are getting better and better. We're challenging them. We're telling him to get better and better every day, and yeah, we desperately want to bring trophies back here,” he concluded.
Faizan Lakhani Faizan Lakhani is Deputy Editor (Sports) at Geo News.