Cricket World Cup 2023: How Did Pakistan Stars React To "No Pay For 5 Months" Claim? Coach Replies

Pakistan coach Grant Bradburn on Monday shrugged off claims his players haven't been paid for five months, insisting the squad was determined to rescue their faltering Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign. Pakistan are on the verge of a group stage exit at the tournament and need to defeat Bangladesh on Tuesday to preserve any slim hopes of making the semi-finals. As well as four defeats in six games so far, Pakistan's campaign has been plagued by reports of no pay as well as delays in agreements over central contracts. "In terms of the noise around the team, look, playing for Pakistan and working within this team is a huge privilege," said Bradburn on Monday.

"To prepare ourselves and give our best are the things that we focus on, the things within our control and there are great expectations and we're desperate to make our nation proud."

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that contracts have been sent to India and the players have signed. That should pave the way for payments to be organised, the PCB claimed.

Former New Zealand all-rounder Bradburn said the team is hurting from their woeful World Cup campaign where wins over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka have been followed by defeats to India, Australia, Afghanistan and South Africa.

"We're in a position that we didn't want to be," said Bradburn whose team also has a poor net run-rate of -0.38.

"We were determined at this stage of the tournament to be in control of our destiny but we're not.

"That hurts the group and all we can do now is control what we can control, and that is prepare well for three remaining pool games and then allow fate to be hopefully leaning on us in terms of our semi-final hopes from there."

Bradburn refused to criticise umpire Alex Wharf for