Naqvi Stands by Pakistan’s Radical Test Squad Restructuring Amid Backlash

On September 2, 2026, Pakistan overhauled its Test squad after consecutive losses during their tour of England. Following an innings-and-103-run defeat in the opening Test and a 194-run loss at Lord’s, the tourists found themselves 2-0 down in the three-match series. Consequently, seven players were released and seven new additions were included ahead of the third Test in Birmingham on September 9.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi addressed the backlash over this mid-series restructuring in a statement on September 2. He defended the decisions made in England as necessary and suggested he was evaluating factors beyond mere performance, though he noted the present moment was unsuitable for discussing those off-field matters.

“I have never been afraid of criticism, and I never will be. Those who say cricket has been destroyed since I came — look at what the rankings were before,” said Naqvi as quoted by Hindustan Times.

Naqvi admitted that Pakistan sat at the bottom of the World Test Championship points table after managing just two wins in eight matches. Despite this, he asserted that the team’s white-ball performance had improved significantly during his leadership as PCB chief.

The departing players featured wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, opener Imam-ul-Haq, middle-order batter Salman Ali Agha, batter Ali Usman, all-rounder Aamir Jamal, and fast bowlers Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad. While Ali Usman claimed five wickets in the Leeds Test, Zafar and Shahzad had not participated in any matches during the tour.

The incoming replacements included batter Saim Ayub and opener Abdullah Fazal, who possessed eight and two Test caps respectively. Additionally, five uncapped players joined the squad: Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran, and Razaullah. The restructuring also impacted the coaching staff, leading to the departure of head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul. Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke, previously part of the white-ball coaching panel, were now managing the Test side.

The squad overhaul provoked intense criticism from cricket pundits and former Pakistan cricketers, such as Shahid Afridi and Ramiz Raja. Former captain Misbah-ul-Haq resigned from the national selection committee in response to the changes, though the PCB had not yet accepted his resignation as of September 2. The third Test in Birmingham was scheduled to commence on September 9, 2026.

Source link