Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar spoke loud and clear on the sad state of Pakistan cricket in the wake of a disappointing Asia Cup 2025 tournament on many grounds. Akhtar did not mince his words while addressing several issues in elaborate fashion.
Akhtar started off with bashing the "uninspiring" Salman Ali Agha, openly admitting that he did not deserve his place in the team, let alone leading the team. He also pointed out head coach Mike Hesson's reluctance in playing proper fast bowlers
and batters and picking "half-baked all-rounders" instead.
“Where will the attitude come when the captain [Salman Agha] is not inspiring? When the captain doesn’t deserve his place in the side, what can he do to inspire? The captain is a reflection of the cricket board’s choices. Pakistan team’s performances are a reflection of the coaches. You have brought in a coach [Mike Hesson] who isn’t willing to listen to stuff. We have died here (on channels) telling him, play one more fast bowler bhai (brother), and one more batter in Hasan Nawaz. But the coach says no, he wants to play half-baked all-rounders. They can't win you the matches in critical situations," stated Akhtar on ARY News.
Akhtar further criticised the team management for being "insecure" about pushing genuine talent and making big players out of them. He compared Pakistan's management to their Indian counterparts and highlighted the level of difference. Akhtar reiterated how Agha's position in the team was unwarranted.
If Haris Rauf isn’t performing, you have options but you haven’t played them. When the management is insecure, then they won’t allow big people to get forward – and the work won’t be done. India makes a hero of Virat Kohli also, Shubman Gill also, Abhishek Sharma also – why aren’t they insecure about making heroes? Here the management needs to be secure. Senseless and headless-chicken management. The team combinations weren’t right, the captaincy wasn’t spot-on, and they weren’t willing to listen to us (former players talking on channels). I don’t think the captain justifies his place in the middle-order and as a spinner,” he added.
The 50-year-old also pointed out the flaw of the PCB in wanting "timid, mediocre players" instead of "strong personalities". Akhtar passionately dismissed the policies implemented by the PCB as meaningless.
“These were the days when we used to enjoy tearaway fast bowlers. We used to enjoy and celebrate unusual talents. But now, we seem to like timid, mediocre players. Hume ab shareef bacche chahiye (we now want obedient kids), jo aath baje curfew lagaake ghar pe baith jaaye (who will sit inside their rooms after the 8 pm curfew). Cricket board ko in jaise bechaare, lallu-kattu chahiye (the board wants these kinds of innocent and naive kids). They don’t want strong personalities. This is the reflection of the policies of the PCB,” he mentioned.
The erstwhile express pacer revealed the real reason behind why he will never join the PCB's administration. He blamed them for the drop in decision-making due to not wanting strong personalities.
“From the first day after my retirement, I had decided that I will never join the PCB as whoever has gone there, has never come out with respect. I work in TV, take money and sit. These guys don’t want strong personalities. Mohsin Naqvi is probably a smart guy, but he takes advice from those people. Look at the team he has built, based on their suggestions," noted Akhtar.
Akhtar felt eliminating divisional, departmental cricket did more harm than good to Pakistan cricket. He even disclosed an exclusive suggestion he gave to PCB chief regarding the revamp of Pakistan Super League (PSL).
"India has invested in the Ranji Trophy, players take home a lakh a day and improve their game. We have killed divisional, departmental cricket. The stability that used to come from that is gone. If you centralise everything and keep saying ‘chaudhary mai hi hoon, maine power-sharing nahi karni, toh talent kaha se aayega? (I am the boss and I won’t share power, then where will talent come from?)? I had even sent in a proposal. PSL 2.0 kar le (let's create PSL 2.0), create 8 new regions, make 7-8 new teams, create a pool of 15,000 players, invest money in domestic. I am talking about PSL 2.0 that starts at a smaller and junior grassroots level, not the PSL that is going on. If you don’t invest there at the junior level, where will the kids emerge? Mohsin sahab (sir) liked my proposal, I hope he implements it," he mentioned.
He even compared the pathways through which players enter the international scene in India as compared to that in Pakistan. He even pointed out the real reason behind why he felt Shaeen Shah Afridi does not possess the accuracy while bowling.
"India, on the other hand, invested in a younger lot in grassroots. All of them have come from the system, making money. They keep the IPL as entertainment. Their players come from a system at the grassroots. If a batter doesn’t make 4000 runs in domestic or bowls 2000 balls a season, they don’t allow them to enter. Me, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis used to bowl 1500-2000 balls per season, including nets. Shaheen Shah Afridi doesn’t have the accuracy because he hasn’t bowled that many balls. What can you expect from him?," analysed Akhtar.
Akhtar ended his rant by urging Naqvi to change the setup by bringing about improvements in the measues taken by the PCB towards selection, their players and Pakisan cricket in general.
“So, all these things will continue. Now, there is Mohsin Naqvi, next time koi aur sahab aa jayenge (next time, some other official in authority will come), Najeem Sethi or someone else. Nizaam chalta rahega, hoga kuch nahi (The system will keep running, but nothing will really change) unless you bring in a visionary educated man. Now, Naqvi still has a chance to correct the system. They have the money, opportunity – do it. History will remember that you started this,” he concluded.
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