PCB to host ‘Connection Camp’ in Lahore to establish clear, unified vision for future

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will host a Connection Camp tomorrow in Lahore, the cricket board said in a press release on Sunday, aiming to establish a clear and unified vision for the future of Pakistan cricket.

In a conversation with Dawn last week, a PCB official said that the event will mainly be aimed at reviewing PCB’s policies rather than the national team’s issues and will be attended by Pakistan’s respective white-ball and Test coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie.

The Green Team suffered a historic 2-0 Test whitewash at the hands of Bangladesh under Shan’s captaincy which was the latest blow in Pakistan’s disastrous run over the last 12 months, which has seen the team go down against the likes of Afghanistan and the United States in the 50-over and T20 World Cup tournaments, respectively with Babar as white-ball skipper.

The series of shocking results have put the PCB under fire, with criticism being directed at the board from all quarters.

However, according to the source, the future of Pakistan captains Babar Azam and Shan Masood will not be a point of discussion during the camp.

According to the press release issued, the camp will be led by Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and will be attended by nine cricketers, including Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Shan Masood.

The primary objective of the camp was to define a “shared vision and mission”, along with setting a roadmap to reignite the “pride and excellence”, the press release said.

The session will focus on fostering stronger collaboration between players and the PCB, while the board will reaffirm its commitment to supporting players in meeting strategic goals.

It added that the ultimate aim of the camp was for players to take a leading role in inspiring the next generation of cricketers through outstanding performances.

While quoting the chairman, the press release said: “The Connection Camp is a critical step toward unifying our approach to restoring Pakistan cricket to its former glory.”

“Our aim is to identify key issues, foster open dialogue, and collectively agree on a strategic path forward,” Naqvi said, adding that “by addressing these challenges directly, we will establish clear, actionable goals that meet the expectations of our passionate cricket fans.”

Naqvi said that the board was optimistic about the session, hoping that it would lead to a results-driven strategy that improves both player management and team performance.

“This is the first step in an ongoing journey to reshape Pakistan cricket. The PCB will continue these collaborative efforts to ensure long-term success, keeping fans at the heart of our mission,” he said.

Pakistan Test Captain Shan Masood said that the camp was important to the players and they were fully committed to working with the board to “reignite the pride and passion” in the team.

“These discussions will help us set a strong course for the future and we are excited to be part of this collaborative effort,” Masood said.

The Test captain said that the camp would include performance benchmarks, player development programmes, and strategies which aligned with PCB’s vision to immediately improve the team while ensuring the long-term sustainability of excellence.

The red-ball Head Coach Jason Gillespie said that camp would provide a valuable opportunity for “open dialogue and alignment between the coaching staff and players”.

“We’re all striving toward the same goal — raising the standard of Pakistan cricket and creating a culture of winning,” he said.

White-ball Head Coach Gary Kirsten said that it was his responsibility to set up the best environment possible for the players to thrive.

“We will focus on refining our approach in white-ball cricket to meet the standards of the highest levels of international competition,” he said.

“Most importantly, we will do everything possible to ensure the people of Pakistan are proud of their national team,” he added.