'Absolutely ridiculous': PCB faces backlash after dropping 7 Pakistan players and coaches mid-tour in England
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Absolutely ridiculous': PCB faces backlash after dropping 7 Pakistan players and coaches mid-tour in England")
PCB criticised for dropping players, coaches mid-tour in ENG Photograph: (Others)
The PCB faces severe backlash from former coaches and players after dropping seven players and changing coaching staff midway through the England Test series following back-to-back heavy defeats.
Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) decision to cut loose seven players after two Test losses against England might have been done with good intentions, but the move has attracted widespread criticism instead. PCB, after losing the first Test by an innings and the second Test by 194 runs, removed seven players from the third Test squad, which starts on September 9. Along with the players, including Salman Ali Agha who led the team in the first Test, Pakistan also removed head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul as well.
Former players and coaches call out PCB for sending back 7 players from England Test squad
The move, which came on Monday (Aug 31), saw Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar, and Khurram Shahzad being dropped, while Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Razaullah, as well as Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal were called into the squad.
As for the coaches, white-ball head coach Mike Hesson and bowling coach Ashley Noffke replaced their red-ball counterparts, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul.
The personnel change, however, didn't go down well with Mickey Arthur, former Pakistan coach, who wrote on X: "Absolutely ridiculous decisions by the PCB — this is the reason they are in the mess they are in because they constantly chop and change players, coaches and selectors and there is no stability! Planning, stability and structure = consistent performance."
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Former skipper Shoaib Malik called the players' treatment disrespectful and wrote on X: "The players dropped from the squad are still our national cricketers who have served Pakistan. Phrases like ‘sent on the first flight back’ are disrespectful. Accountability should start with those who broke the system, not with players especially those who were on the bench or have played 2-3 Test matches. Plus, accountability starts once a tour is done, not in the middle of it."
Shahid Afridi also didn't mince his words and wrote: "Not sure what is the logic or reasoning behind this decision! Even the replacements make no sense – T20 players have been included for a Test match in England?"
Pakistan, who have now lost 10 of their last 11 away Tests, will face England in the third and final Test on September 9 at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
