Mohsin Naqvi, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has defended the extensive changes made to the Pakistan Test cricket squad during the ongoing series against England, describing the overhaul as “essential”.
Ahead of the third and final Test starting September 9, Pakistan replaced nearly half of its squad and released head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul following heavy defeats in the first two matches against England, which saw Pakistan lose by an innings in the first Test and by 194 runs in the second, enabling England to secure an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
ADVERTISEMENT
Stay connected
Make The News Mill your preferred TNM on Google
The PCB dropped seven players after the loss at Lord’s, including Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad. In their place, the team brought in five uncapped players—Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah—alongside Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, who together have experience in just ten matches. Additionally, Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke, already part of Pakistan’s white-ball coaching staff, were appointed head coach and bowling coach respectively for the Test squad.
Naqvi emphasised that the decisions made during
Naqvi emphasised that the decisions made during the England tour were necessary and indicated that he was also investigating issues beyond on-field performance, though he did not consider it the right time to discuss matters unrelated to cricket.
The PCB has faced significant criticism from former cricketers, fans and analysts concerning the changes. Naqvi dismissed the criticism, asserting that he had never avoided scrutiny and invited detractors to consider Pakistan’s rankings before his tenure. While acknowledging that Pakistan’s Test performances had been disappointing, he pointed to the progress made in white-ball cricket during his leadership.
“I have never been afraid of criticism, and I never will be. Those who say cricket has been destroyed since I came — look at what the rankings were before,” he said, as quoted by Geo News.
Source: thenewsmill.com
