‘Look what the order was before’: PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi hits back at critics amid Pakistan cricket turmoil

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has defended the major changes made to Pakistan’s Test squad during the ongoing England series, saying the decisions were “fundamental”.Pakistan have made sweeping changes ahead of the third and final Test against England, which is scheduled to begin on September 9.The move came after Pakistan lost the first two Tests heavily, with England taking an unassailable 2-0 lead. Pakistan lost the first Test by an innings, while the second ended in a 194-run defeat.

Naqvi responds to criticism

The changes drew strong criticism from former Pakistan cricketers, fans and analysts. However, Naqvi said he was not affected by the reaction and claimed that the decisions made during the England tour were necessary.He said he also looked into issues beyond the team’s poor performances but believed it was not the right time to discuss non-cricket matters. While acknowledging Pakistan’s disappointing Test results, Naqvi pointed to improvements in the team’s white-ball cricket during his tenure.“I have never been afraid of criticism and I never will be. Those who say that cricket has been destroyed since I came – look at the rankings before,” he said, according to Geo News.

Major changes in the testing team

After the second loss, PCB released seven players from the team: Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad.Board have replaced them with five uncapped players, along with Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, who have combined just 10 matches of experience. The new players include Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah.PCB also made changes in the coaching staff, bringing in Mike Hesson as head coach and Ashley Noffke as bowling coach. Both are already part of Pakistan’s white-ball coaching system. Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul were dismissed from their respective coaching roles.