New coach Misbah-ul-Haq imposes ‘biryani ban’ on Pakistani players

Newly-appointed head coach Misbah-ul-Haq has come down heavily on the fitness levels of the Pakistan players post their 2019 World Cup debacle. The chief selector has asked for a change of diet in the domestic as well as national camps.

Misbah has reportedly issued orders against specific food items like biryani, oil-filled red meat meals and sweets. The revamped diet menu will only consist of barbecued items and pasta with fruits for all teams.

“Pakistani players are known to have a fondness for junk food and rich oily dishes when they are not playing for the national team. But Misbah has told every player that a logbook will be maintained on their fitness and diet plans. Anyone found lacking would be shown the door,” a source in the know was quoted saying.

The 45-year-old was one of the most physically fit batsmen in his heyday and continues to be active even today. Having recently taken charge of the Pakistan team, Misbah believes that playing aggressive cricket is not always the right solution. Sometimes, it is important to strategise well with proper assessments of the opposition.

“I have been saying this forever that there is some confusion in the way we are thinking about being defensive and aggressive,” he said after his appointment.

“I always believed that your strategy is based on the resources you’ve got. Ideally, you obviously try and wish to have resources that you can just dominate and knock out the opposition.”

“Being a coach, I will try to build a team that plays aggressively and wins easily. But then at certain times you have to assess the strength of the opponent and make your strategy accordingly.

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