New Delhi, May 27: Several players from the Pakistan cricket team, particularly fast bowlers, are unhappy with the removal of physio Cliff Deacon, who has been associated with the team for a long time. Reports indicate that they have urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to reconsider this decision.
Deacon has been removed from the support staff ahead of the upcoming ODI series against the Australian national team. The board has appointed Iftikhar Ahmed as the new physio. According to a report from ‘Telecom Asia’, many players are disappointed with this move, as Deacon has been a longstanding member of the national team.
The 45-year-old South African physio joined the Pakistani team in 2017. He was highly respected in the dressing room, especially among fast bowlers who face workload and fitness issues during a busy international schedule.
Although the PCB has not provided an official reason for Deacon’s removal, sources claim that the newly appointed Director of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Javed Mughal, was dissatisfied with the recurring injury problems in the team and held Deacon responsible.
A source stated, “(Javed) Mughal ordered Deacon to leave the team. A farewell ceremony was held for Deacon after the second Test match, where he became quite emotional and hugged most of the players.”
However, players disagreed with this assessment and defended Deacon’s role within the team. They argued that the responsibilities related to long-term rehabilitation of players do not fall solely under the physio’s control.
According to reports, one player remarked, “Deacon’s work was excellent and effective, but those in the board do not understand that overseeing the rehabilitation of unfit players is not the physio’s job. The physio’s role is to treat minor injuries, and that is exactly what Deacon was doing. Rehabilitation of players is conducted with all the facilities available at the academy.”
The same source praised Deacon’s understanding of players’ fitness and injury management. They said, “Deacon was skilled at identifying fitness issues just by observing a player from a distance. His work was outstanding, and the decision to remove him is not in the best interest of the players or the team.”
This development is likely to raise concerns about instability within Pakistan’s internal structure, particularly regarding the treatment of foreign support staff and coaches in recent years.
Several foreign appointments within the PCB have ended abruptly, including former bowling coaches Shaun Tait and Morne Morkel, as well as batting consultant Andrew Puttick. High-profile coaching appointments like Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten also ended prematurely in 2024. Reports suggest that Deacon may soon join the Afghanistan national cricket team’s setup, similar to Puttick before him.
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