PAKISTAN: CRICKET - Mohammad Hafeez steps down as Pakistan's Twenty20 captain after their early exit from the World T20 tournament in Bangladesh
Record ID:
567104
PAKISTAN: CRICKET - Mohammad Hafeez steps down as Pakistan's Twenty20 captain after their early exit from the World T20 tournament in Bangladesh
- Title: PAKISTAN: CRICKET - Mohammad Hafeez steps down as Pakistan's Twenty20 captain after their early exit from the World T20 tournament in Bangladesh
- Date: 3rd April 2014
- Summary: LAHORE, PAKISTAN (APRIL 3, 2014) (REUTERS) (NOTE: VIDEO IS 4:3 CONVERTED) PAKISTAN'S TWENTY20 CAPTAIN AND ALL ROUNDER MOHAMMAD HAFEEZ AND HEAD COACH OF PAKISTAN TEAM, MOIN KHAN, TALKING TO REPORTERS JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) PAKISTAN'S TWENTY20 CAPTAIN AND ALL ROUNDER MOHAMMAD HAFEEZ SAYING: "I take responsibility for Pakistan team performance. I think we played good cricket and we played bad cricket. I take the responsibility for every good and bad. We had had thorough discussion with Pakistan Cricket Board chief Najam Sethi and I have decided to step down as captain." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) PAKISTAN'S TWENTY20 CAPTAIN AND ALL ROUNDER MOHAMMAD HAFEEZ SAYS: "I will be available as a player for Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan team. I will accept the role for all formats." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) HEAD COACH OF PAKISTAN TEAM, MOIN KHAN, SAYS: "My contracts is over now. It was for two tournaments. I tried my best to deliver with my team, captain and players." REPORTERS AT END OF SPEECH
- Embargoed: 18th April 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Pakistan
- Country: Pakistan
- Topics: General,Sports
- Reuters ID: LVAJEQYRABC4YR2YUVAGG278I4R
- Story Text: Mohammad Hafeez has stepped down as Pakistan's Twenty20 captain after their early exit from the World T20 tournament in Bangladesh.
All rounder Hafeez announced he was stepping down as the Twenty20 captain and also as vice-captain of the test and one-day sides in Lahore on Thursday (April 3) after a meeting with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi.
"I take responsibility for Pakistan team performance. I think we played good cricket and we played bad cricket. I take the responsibility for every good and bad. We had had thorough discussion with Pakistan Cricket Board chief Najam Sethi and I have decided to step down as captain," Hafeez said.
Pakistan was soundly beaten by West Indies in a do or die match last week which put them out of the World Twenty20 - a tournament in which Pakistan had always qualified for the semi-finals since its inception in 2007.
Hafeez, 33, was made national Twenty20 captain in 2012 and has played 36 tests, 146 ODIs and 58 T20 internationals.
He apologised to the people who had always supported him for our performance in the tournament.
Hafeez said no one had pressurised him to step down.
The PCB chief met Hafeez and the head coach of the team, Moin Khan, and senior cricket consultant Zaheer Abbas on Tuesday (April 1) to discuss the performance of the team.
Asked if had also contemplated stepping down as head coach, former test captain Moin Khan said his contract with the board was for two tournaments and it was over now.
"My contracts is over now. It was for two tournaments. I tried my best to deliver with my team, captain and players," said Khan adding that Hafeez has set a very healthy precedent by taking responsibility for the team's performance. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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