Director of High Performance and senior member of the Men’s National Selection Committee Aqib Javed has hit out at former Pakistani cricketers who criticise the current cricket setup, saying that their “only contribution has been sitting in air-conditioned studios with microphones rather than working on the ground”.
Speaking on a private television channel, Aqib said he has spent 27 years working in cricket, challenging critics to name a single person who has played at the same level or continued working for as long as he has.
“I see many people criticising, but they never worked on the ground for a single day. Sometimes I feel I am working on the ground for the past 25 years while others are abusing me,” he said.
Aqib added that the role of a former cricketer should not be limited to television appearances.
“Sitting on TV and giving speeches seems to be their only job. That should not be the job of a cricketer. A cricketer’s first duty is to use the skill he has and go back to the city he belongs to, where there are grounds and opportunities, and contribute there. Not just sit around and give us lectures,” he said.
Aqib then went on to directly challenge them. “Who are they even lecturing? I have worked for 27 years, just tell me one person who has played cricket at this level and has been working for 27 years. There is no one. Their contribution has been reduced to sitting in studios under AC rooms with microphones, saying ‘this is wrong, that is wrong… he has ruined everything’.”
He also addressed expectations surrounding his own role, saying he did not join the PCB without a plan.
He said that he had prepared a strategy beforehand, presented it to the PCB chairman, asked him to review it and discuss how much time would be needed to address existing problems.
He also pushed back against the assumption that any new appointment can deliver instant results. “People often assume whoever comes in can wave a magic wand and put everything right instantly, otherwise they should just leave. That is not how it works.”
On the selection front, he said improving the process had remained a key priority, particularly following the PCB chairman’s directives that selection must be made transparent. “Now, a player will only be selected if he performs,” he said, adding that separate criteria had been introduced for domestic and national level players, with four categories introduced at the international level covering Test, ODI and T20 formats.
Aqib also said the system would help players identify which format they need to focus on most.
