Mohsin Naqvi, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, has responded to criticism of Pakistani cricket by pointing to other elite countries’ surprising losses, such as India’s June 2026 T20I series loss to Ireland.
In that two-game series at Belfast, India lost both games, losing by 34 runs on June 26 and by 1 run on June 28, giving up the series 2-0. This outcome, along with South Africa’s loss to Namibia, was used by Naqvi to support his claim that upsets are a characteristic of contemporary cricket rather than an indication of Pakistani systematic failure.
During the visit of England, why did Pakistan hit the panic button?
During the team’s tour of England, Pakistan’s cricket board took drastic measures, dismissing coaching personnel, including bowling coach Umar Gul and former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, and sending seven players home halfway through the series. The PCB and its leadership came under unprecedented public and media criticism as a result of the actions.
While acknowledging that the Test match outcomes were disappointing, Naqvi insisted that the choices made were appropriate. Additionally, he defended his current position by citing Pakistan cricket’s standing in all formats since he took charge.
Regarding Salman Agha’s present form, what did Naqvi say?
Salman Agha’s recent performance was one of the players whose positions were questioned. Naqvi affirmed that instead of just removing Agha from the team, the board had spoken with him and taken action to support him. Naqvi made it apparent that the board prioritises performance over punishment.
