Ex-captains question PCB's 'panic-button' squad shake-up ahead of third England Test

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to axe seven players and the head coach after two crushing defeats by England triggered a furious backlash from former captains and coaches who branded the shake-up as “panic-driven” chaos.

Yesterday, the PCB announced dropping seven players, including Mohammad Rizwan, Imamul Haq, and Salman Ali Agha, from the Test squad after the completion of the Lord’s Test. Sarfaraz Ahmed, who was appointed as the head coach of the Test team in April, and bowling coach Umar Gul, had also been sent back home.

On the same day, the board also named the replacements for the axed players, with five uncapped players. White-ball head coach Mike Hesson was to oversee the team’s matters as a replacement for the Test head coach.

Since the announcement, the cricket board, headed by Mohsin Naqvi, has faced criticism in sporting circles, with former Pakistan captains also questioning its rationale.

“I’m trying to convince myself this is all OK, but it is not,” former captain and ex-PCB chairman Ramiz Raja told BBC Radio.

“It just shows Pakistan cricket has hit a panic button.” Former all-rounder Shahid Afridi said he saw no logic or reasoning in selecting white-ball players for a Test series.

“Even the replacements make no sense — T20 players have been included for a Test match in England?” Afridi wrote on X.

“What is this thinking and approach? Why has the coach been axed after five Test matches? This is the most shocking decision ever by a selection committee that includes so many experienced selectors.”

In a post on X, ex-captain Shoaib Malik termed the phrases used by the cricket board while announcing its decision “disrespectful”.

“The players dropped from the squad are still our national cricketers who have served Pakistan. Phrases like ‘sent on the first flight back’ are disrespectful.

He demanded that “accountability should start with those who broke the system”. “Plus, accountability starts once a tour is done, not in the middle of it,” he maintained.

Malik said the players should not have to go through such mental stress and social media scrutiny after every bad game, or the fear of failure would settle in the minds of the players.

Commenting on the PCB’s decision, former captain Rashid Latif noted that the cricket authority’s recipe was the same — manage a crisis by creating a bigger crisis — but this time a new ingredient of “disrespect” had been added.

“Six-plus-one players, including the captain of the current T20 team and a former captain, plus a new player who just took five wickets and the rest who never played, were sent back midway through a series.

“What is sad is that with them also left two greats of Pakistan cricket. One a [T20] World Cup (Umar Gul) winner and a Champions Trophy (Sarfaraz Ahmed) winner,” he said on X.

“Is this the way that we treat former international players and our current players?” he questioned. “Yes, it was a poor show by the team, but who created this team?”

“Those who created the team, ironically, are the ones who are punishing the team.”

Meanwhile, Misbahul Haq, former captain, head coach and member of the men’s selection committee, had submitted his resignation from the post; however, the PCB has yet to accept it, Cricinfo reported.

According to the report, the PCB, on Monday, served a notice on members of the selection committee following the defeat at Lord’s, seeking written explanations regarding the selection of Rizwan and Imam in the squads for the tours of the West Indies and England.

‘Absolutely ridiculous’

Mickey Arthur, who coached Pakistan from 2016 to 2019, said the PCB had made “absolutely ridiculous decisions” ahead of the third Test next week, which Pakistan must win to avoid a series whitewash.

“This is the reason why they are in the mess they are in: they constantly chop and change players, coaches and selectors, and there is no stability,” he wrote.

“Planning, stability and structure = consistent performance!” Former England batter Kevin Pietersen could not resist a quip, saying new captain Babar Azam would have a tough time listing the team’s changes at the toss.

“Maybe the toss should start the night before?” he wrote.

Click here to read article