‘Cosmetic surgery’ won’t fix Pakistan cricket: Misbah-ul-Haq takes aim at PCB after stepping down

Misbah ul Haq (Photo AFP) Former Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for what he described as a reactive approach to handling the national team, following the decision to send seven players and two coaches back home during the ongoing Test tour of England.Misbah, who recently resigned as Pakistan’s national selector, stepped down shortly after the PCB announced its decision earlier this week. This development took place after the board had issued summonses to all members of the selection committee.As per PCB’s decision, head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were dropped from the Test squad while seven players were also removed. Pakistan subsequently sent their white-ball players to England for the final match of the series.

Misbah blames double standard

In a TV show, Misbah questioned the way local coaches are treated compared to their foreign counterparts in Pakistan cricket.According to the former captain, overseas coaches are given more powers and face significantly less scrutiny when results don’t go their way.“It is a fact that local and foreign coaches are treated differently in Pakistan cricket. Local coaches have to face more scrutiny and criticism compared to foreign coaches,” he said.Misbah made it clear that his criticism was not aimed at the appointment of the overseas coaches themselves. Instead, he argued that the wider cricket ecosystem tends to give foreign coaches an easy ride.“I don’t think there is anything wrong with having foreign coaches, but it bothers me that we (fans, critics, media, PCB) tend to have a soft spot for foreign coaches,” he added.He further explained that the imbalance extends to the level of responsibility placed on coaches.“We tend to give foreign coaches more authority and power and he is less responsible if the team performs poorly. In contrast, local coaches always face scrutiny from everyone.”

‘We should not panic’

Misbah also took aim at the PCB’s decision-making process, warning that sudden changes made under pressure could cause more problems for a team already in need of stability.He argued that Pakistan could not afford to repeatedly overhaul its set-up without first conducting a proper performance assessment and identifying the reasons behind its problems.“We should not panic and do cosmetic surgery because of the pressure. We have to analyze the performances and the situation and then decide how to proceed,” Misbah said.The former selector added: “Unfortunately in Pakistan cricket we are used to taking reactive decisions.”For Misbah, the solution requires patience and a long-term strategy rather than immediate reactions to poor results.

Misbah points to the Indian model

The former Pakistan captain also compared the country’s cricket structure with India’s and highlighted the gradual evolution of the Indian system since the 1990s.He pointed to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as examples from the Indian set-up and argued that greater exposure and stronger preparation for pressure situations contributed to India’s success against Pakistan.“Our youngsters play too much white-ball cricket and their exposure to red-ball cricket is limited. Lack of four-day cricket. That means they have more chances of cracking under pressure.”“India needed time to process and develop and gradually invested in its system after the 1990s. There is no quick fix for the system.”Misbah’s comments come at a turbulent time for Pakistan cricket, with the PCB making major changes to the Test setup even before the England tour ended. But his message was that sustained improvement will require consistency, greater exposure to the red ball for young players and sustained investment rather than repeated responses to short-term setbacks.