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Karachi: Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam has played down the reports pointing out differences between him and team's batting consultant Javed Miandad over the method of Champions Trophy preparation.
Alam denied that he had any problem with once-teammate Miandad and accused a section of media for interpreting the things in a wrong way.
"We are good friends and don't have any issue with each other. Miandad has played under my captaincy and also when I was the Pakistan coach. Some people in the media are trying to create the misunderstanding between us and doing no good to the team," Alam said.
The issue gained prominence when daily 'Express' quoted Miandad yesterday saying that it was very difficult for him to work with the team without knowing schedule of conditioning camp ahead of the eight-nation tournament commencing in South Africa from September 22.
"No one has told me about the team's training schedule as yet," Miandad was quoted as saying.
The conditioning camp was originally to be held from September 1-10 in Lahore, where Miandad had ordered the preparation of grassy tracks for the batsmen to practice on.
But Alam later got approval from the Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ejaz Butt and changed the schedule of the camp which is now being held in two parts.
The first part will continue in Lahore till September 6, followed by another five-day training in Karachi before the team's departure for South Africa on Sept 12.
"Miandad would be working with the players in the second part in Karachi. In Lahore we are just concentrating on physical training and allowing the players to have counseling sessions with psychologist Dr Maqbool Babri," Alam said.
Miandad, who is also the PCB Director (Cricket), has been given the additional responsibility by the board's governing council in order to improve the batting form of the team before Champions Trophy.
