Naqvi defends Test team shake-up

The PCB chief says changes are necessary after England defeats

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday defended the sweeping changes to the national Test squad after two heavy defeats by England, saying the overhaul was necessary to improve performances ahead of the third Test in Birmingham.

“I have never been afraid of criticism, and I never will be,” Naqvi said in an interview in London.

England won the first Test at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs before sealing the series with a 194-run victory at Lord’s.

The PCB responded by releasing seven players, including Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq and Salman Ali Agha, and calling up seven replacements for the third Test.

Naqvi acknowledged Pakistan’s Test performances had been “very poor” but pointed to progress in white-ball cricket.

Pakistan are fifth in the ICC ODI rankings and sixth in T20 internationals. Naqvi said they had won four of six ODI series and that their T20 success rate had risen from 24 percent to 73 percent.

“Those who say Pakistan cricket has been destroyed — look at what the rankings were before,” he said.

He also rejected the notion that individual defeats meant Pakistan cricket was collapsing.

“South Africa lost to Namibia, India lost to Ireland. Check there — did cricket end there too?” Naqvi said.

“For us, each and every match is important.”

Naqvi said changes would be made when performances demanded them, but insisted the PCB was not looking to discard players without reason.

“Agha is a wonderful player, but he didn’t click,” he said. “We don’t mean to kick out any player, but if someone is not performing, we will change.”

“Yes, we need a lot of improvements in our Test series ,” Naqvi added.

He also said he would not tolerate the humiliation of players and that his confidence in them remained intact.

The PCB has also removed head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul, with Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke taking charge of the Test side.

The board has separately sought explanations from selection committee members Aaqib Javed, Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq over the recommendation of Rizwan and Imam for the Test squad.

Misbah-ul-Haq has also decided to resign from the national selection committee. “Yes he has sent his resignation to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB),” a well-placed source told The Express Tribune. He will serve a notice period before formally stepping down, the source said.

Pakistan have meanwhile arrived in Birmingham, with Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas and Imran Randhawa joining the squad.

The team will train at Edgbaston at 9:30am on 4th September before the third Test against England begins at the same ground on September 9.