Inside story: What happened in PCB chief's meeting with ex-players on T20 World Cup exit?

Many cricketers attributed poor performance in T20 World Cup 2024 to weak batting order, frequent leadership changes

A meeting chaired by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi saw former cricketers voicing concerns over team selection and frequent leadership changes.

During the meeting on Tuesday, the discussion, involving over fifteen former test and international players, aimed to gather insights and suggestions to enhance the national cricket setup.

Notable attendees included Salman Butt, Ijaz Ahmed, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Basit Ali.

Earlier, PCB promised "major surgery" to address the team's issues, with reports suggesting significant changes to the team's composition and management

In the meeting, a major point of contention was the team composition during the ICC T20 World Cup, with criticism centred on an imbalance in the batting order and the detrimental effect of frequent captaincy changes.

"Frequent changes in captaincy are harmful to the team's stability," one source reported from the meeting.

The former cricketers emphasized the importance of prioritizing fitness without any compromise, underscoring that it is crucial for achieving consistent performance.

In response, Naqvi assured that the PCB would address these issues, committing to improving Pakistan's domestic cricket structure and other related matters based on the valuable suggestions provided during the meeting.

Despite some notable absences, including Javed Miandad and Rashid Latif, the meeting was seen as a significant step toward improving Pakistan's cricket infrastructure.

The chairman clarified that the focus of the meeting was primarily on structural improvements and strategic insights for the future of Pakistan cricket.

Pakistan's cricket team suffered a dismal performance in the T20 World Cup 2024, failing to advance beyond the group stage.

The team's batting was particularly criticized, with captain Babar Azam acknowledging that their inability to establish partnerships and make the most of powerplay overs contributed to their poor showing.

The team's early exit included a shocking loss to the USA, a tier-two team, and a subsequent defeat to arch-rivals India.

The team's performance drew widespread criticism, with players like Muhammad Rizwan and Babar Azam apologizing to fans for their subpar performance.