“South Africa lost to Namibia. India lost to Ireland. Did cricket end there too?” That’s how PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi chose to answer critics this week, firing back with sarcasm rather than apology after Pakistan’s turbulent Test tour of England exploded into one of the biggest Pakistan cricket controversies in years.
What Sparked the Backlash
Pakistan’s tour of England has been rough by any measure. After losing the first Test at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs, followed by a 194-run defeat at Lord’s that sealed the series for England 2-0, the PCB responded with a dramatic mid-series overhaul: seven players — including Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, and stand-in captain Salman Ali Agha — along with head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling consultant Umar Gul, were all released and replaced ahead of the third Test. Former chief selector Mohsin Khan also resigned from the selection committee amid the fallout, adding to the sense of administrative chaos surrounding the tour.
Naqvi’s Defense: Look at the Rankings
Speaking to reporters in London on Wednesday, Naqvi pushed back hard against the idea that Pakistani cricket is in terminal decline, leaning entirely on the team’s white-ball results to make his case. He pointed out that Pakistan’s ODI ranking has climbed from eighth to fifth, and its T20I ranking from ninth to sixth, since he took charge. He also cited a jump in T20I success rate from 24% to 73%, along with four series wins out of six recent ODI series — numbers he says get ignored every time critics declare Pakistani cricket finished.
The India-Ireland Comparison That Divided Opinion
The comment generating the most reaction, though, was Naqvi’s comparison to other top cricketing nations’ recent upsets — specifically India’s 2-0 T20I series loss to Ireland in June 2026 and South Africa’s defeat to Namibia. His argument: unexpected losses happen to every major cricketing nation, and singling out Pakistan’s results as proof of systemic failure ignores that broader pattern. Not everyone found the comparison persuasive — some commentary has pushed back that invoking other teams’ isolated defeats doesn’t really address Pakistan’s specific selection and Test-cricket issues, even if the underlying point about upsets being common in modern cricket holds some truth.
He Didn’t Deny the Test Struggles
To his credit, Naqvi wasn’t dismissive of the actual problem. He directly acknowledged that Pakistan’s Test performances have been “very poor” and said the format requires serious improvement, distinguishing clearly between the team’s white-ball progress and its ongoing Test struggles rather than claiming everything is fine across the board. He also defended the specific decision to drop Salman Ali Agha, who had been stand-in captain for the first Test, framing it as a performance-based swap rather than a punishment: “We don’t mean to kick out any player, but if someone is not performing, we will change.”
Not Everyone Is Convinced
The mid-series shakeup has drawn criticism well beyond social media chatter. Former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali, speaking separately to Dawn, said decisions like these create “insecurity among the players” and argued they need to happen within a stable, consistent framework rather than as a reaction to a single bad series. Naqvi, for his part, framed much of the criticism as being aimed at him personally rather than at Pakistani cricket itself, saying plainly: “If someone has resentment towards me, by all means criticise me personally. But don’t target cricket.”
What’s Next
Despite the turmoil, the tour has continued on parallel diplomatic tracks — the Pakistan squad and Naqvi were welcomed at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday for an audience with King Charles. On the field, Pakistan’s newly reshuffled squad faces England in the third and final Test of the series at Edgbaston in Birmingham, starting September 9, 2026 — already eliminated from series contention, but with a chance to end the tour on a better note than it began.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did PCB make major changes to Pakistan’s Test squad mid-series?
After losing the first two Tests against England at Headingley and Lord’s, the PCB released seven players and two coaches, replacing them with seven new players ahead of the third Test in a bid to improve performance.
What did PCB chairman Naqvi say in response to criticism?
Naqvi called claims that Pakistani cricket has “finished” unreasonable, citing improved ODI and T20I rankings under his tenure and comparing Pakistan’s Test struggles to recent unexpected losses by India and South Africa.
Has Pakistan’s cricket ranking actually improved?
Yes, according to Naqvi’s cited figures: Pakistan’s ODI ranking rose from eighth to fifth, and its T20I ranking from ninth to sixth, alongside a T20I success rate increase from 24% to 73%.
When is Pakistan’s next Test match?
Pakistan plays the third and final Test of the series against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham, starting September 9, 2026.
Whether Naqvi’s defense settles the criticism or fuels it further will likely become clearer once Pakistan takes the field at Edgbaston — for now, the debate over what’s really wrong with Pakistani cricket, and who’s responsible for fixing it, shows no sign of cooling off.
