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Shahid Afridi, the former captain of Pakistan, has criticized PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi following Naqvi’s comments about future plans for the country’s cricket. Naqvi had indicated that he would consult with advisors, including former cricketers and white ball head coach Gary Kirsten, before implementing any changes. This statement comes in the wake of Pakistan’s poor performance in the T20 World Cup 2024, which has sparked discussions about potentially major reforms in Pakistani cricket.
In a recent media interaction, Naqvi was asked about his strategy for enhancing the state of cricket in Pakistan. He responded by noting that he would seek input from some former players and Gary Kirsten before making any decisions.
A prominent sports journalist in Pakistan has reported that Shahid Afridi criticized the PCB chairman, asserting that no meaningful progress can be made in Pakistani cricket if the chairman continues to rely solely on his advisors. Afridi went further to suggest that these advisors lack proper cricketing knowledge and are ineffective in their roles.
“Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi will be able to do nothing if he ran PCB on the suggestions by the advisors because the advisors of Chairman PCB are incompetent and have no knowledge about cricket,” Shahid Afridi was quoted as saying by Arfa Feroz Zake, a journalist for Geo News.
Afridi didn’t hold back and also urged Mohsin Naqvi to focus on one role at a time. Naqvi, who is both the PCB chairman and Pakistan’s interior minister, has been advised by Afridi to concentrate on his responsibilities in a single position rather than juggling multiple roles.
“Mohsin Naqvi is Interior Minister as well as Chairman PCB. This is right time for him to choose one job!” Afridi was quoted as saying by Arfa Feroz Zake.
Bad time for Pakistan cricket
Pakistan cricket is currently in a state of major upheaval. The team was eliminated from the T20 World Cup 2024 after suffering defeats in their opening games against the USA and India. The loss to the USA was especially surprising given the disparity in experience between the two teams.
Although Pakistan secured victories in their subsequent matches against Canada and Ireland, they ended with just four points, falling short of the USA’s five points and missing out on a spot in the Super 8 stage.
The team’s performance has faced heavy criticism from former cricketers and cricket experts worldwide. Captain Babar Azam is under intense scrutiny, with his leadership position considered precarious. Pakistan’s upcoming challenge is a two-match Test series at home against Bangladesh. Ahead of this series, the PCB is anticipated to announce a new central contract list, which is expected to include significant changes, notably the promotion of pacer Naseem Shah to the A category.
