Shoaib Akhtar fires veiled shot at Mohsin Naqvi post World Cup exit: Clueless management, something's wrong in PCB

Frustrated by Pakistan’s failure to reach the last four in four successive ICC tournaments — including league-stage exits at the 2023 ODI World Cup, the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy — Akhtar first lashed out at the team management, branding them “clueless” over their selection decisions.

“Pakistan’s management looks completely clueless. Today’s team selection only confirmed that the XI picked over the last 15 days was wrong. There was one clear error — Saim Ayub should have played instead of Khawaja Nafay. Saim could have contributed with the ball as well,” Akhtar said on Pakistani show Tapmad.

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“This selection showed that when you pick the right players for the right roles, they perform. Fakhar Zaman is a natural opener, yet he wasn’t played earlier. Today, Farhan, Fakhar and Abrar all delivered. That tells you everything.”

Akhtar then turned his attention to Naqvi, holding the PCB chief indirectly accountable for the continued failures at ICC events. While acknowledging that Naqvi appears committed to restoring Pakistan’s stature in world cricket and possesses the authority and resources to effect change, the former pacer questioned whether the chairman has surrounded himself with the right advisors.

“I have nothing against Mohsin Naqvi. From what I hear, he is a good person. He is one of the most powerful chairmen in Pakistan’s cricket history. He has influence, resources and authority. But if he cannot build a strong management structure, and the team has failed to qualify in four consecutive tournaments, then something is seriously wrong within the board.

“I understand that he may not be a cricket expert and genuinely wants the team to do well. But is he seeking the right advice? It doesn’t appear so. This is a request to Naqvi: the people advising you are making you look bad. The selection committee is not doing you justice.

“He may want success for Pakistan cricket, but the system around him is not helping. The real question is — who are these people? At this stage, Naqvi remains Pakistan cricket’s last hope, but he needs the right support structure to turn things around.”

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