The Pakistan cricket team has become a laughing stock all across the globe over the board’s constant chop-and-change policy. After as many as 7 new players were added to the roster ahead of the third and final Test against England, the PCB received criticism from several former cricketers and experts. However, Pakistan’s pace bowling icon Shoaib Akhtar isn’t surprised by the actions of the board. In fact, he revealed that the PCB’s real plan is to uproot the entire first team squad and replace it with the younger generation. Barring a handful of players, Akhtar doesn’t expect many players to be a part of Pakistan’s long-term plan going forward.
As the world criticises the PCB for throwing its players under the bus, Akhtar stands with the board despite the sweeping changes that are being made in the senior men’s national team.
“The PCB itself was very disappointed by these people, and they don’t expect anything from this Pakistan squad. The plan is to remove this squad and replace them with younger and newer blood. Players who just want to play for Pakistan. They are looking at the future now, and they are working at it in the right way,” Akhtar said on the OutSide Edge Show.
Amid this transition, Akhtar wants three Pakistan players to be saved – Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf. The former speedster, surprisingly, doesn’t think even Test skipper Babar Azam deserves to be saved.
“In this transition, I just want Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf’s careers to be saved. These guys have a lot of cricket left in them,” he said.
Akhtar even spoke to a PCB official over the changes that were made to Pakistan’s squad after the second Test. He even asked the official what is being expected from the players who are coming into the squad. The response from the official was quite blunt, “nothing”.
“Nothing. We have expectations from the next generation of players that we are preparing for the big stage,” the official said, claimed Akhtar.
The Rawalpindi Express further said that the PCB official described Pakistan cricket as being “on a ventilator” and estimated that the current project might take a couple of years before serious results are seen on the ground.
“What is the shock there? Didn’t you expect that?” he said. When asked about Pakistan’s twin defeats against England in the first couple of Tests, he said: “We didn’t have the fight in us,” he said.