Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s defence of the sweeping mid-series changes made during the England Test series has drawn sharp reactions online, including from Australian cricket commentator Jim Maxwell.
Speaking to reporters in London, Naqvi called the decisions taken in England “essential” and dismissed critics who he said had achieved nothing themselves. He said that he deeply felt the pain of the national team’s poor performance but stood firmly behind his actions.
“I have never been afraid of criticism, and I never will be,” Naqvi said, adding that criticism from those who had not achieved anything themselves made no difference to him.
He said that he would take it seriously if a great player like former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram spoke up, but dismissed others claiming he was not giving enough time to cricket, saying they simply did not know the facts. Naqvi went further, suggesting those raising concerns about Pakistan cricket were not genuinely worried about the game and that their real issue was with him personally.
While acknowledging that Pakistan’s Test performance had been very poor, Naqvi pointed to improvement in the team’s white-ball form during his tenure. He noted that Pakistan currently ranks fifth in ICC ODI rankings and sixth in T20 rankings. “Those who say cricket has been destroyed since I came, look at what the rankings were before,” he said.
Naqvi’s comments quickly found their way onto social media, where Jim Maxwell responded sharply to his remarks on criticism. Quoting Naqvi’s statement, Maxwell wrote, “Who is this idiot? Go away….arrogant, ignorant.”
Maxwell’s post triggered a wave of reactions from cricket fans.
One user mocked Naqvi’s rankings comparison, joking that he seemed to be “confusing cricket rankings with golf scoring.” Another pushed back at Maxwell, asking if someone could remind him what Pakistan’s rankings looked like before and after Naqvi’s tenure.
Other reactions were more pointed toward Naqvi himself, with one user remarking that “criticism affects those who are accountable,” while another simply commented on his confidence during the interview.
The reactions come at a turbulent time for Pakistan cricket. The Greenshirts suffered an innings-and-103-run defeat in the first Test, followed by a 194-run loss at Lord’s, handing England an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
PCB has since released seven players, Rizwan, Imam, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad, from the Test squad ahead of the Birmingham Test, bringing in Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran and Razaullah as replacements.
Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also released from their positions, with the white-ball coaching panel of Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke now overseeing the Test side.
PCB has also issued a notice to selection committee members Aaqib, Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq, seeking written explanations over the selection of Rizwan and Imam for the squad.
Misbah-ul-Haq has reportedly decided to resign from the selection committee, according to sources close to the former captain.
