The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is going through renewed criticism over its dealing with of the senior males’s nationwide staff, with former captain Rashid Latif accusing the board of successfully working the aspect by way of “distant management” and questioning why coaches and captains usually are not being given better authority.The newest criticism comes after the PCB made an unprecedented mid-series overhaul, sending seven gamers and two coaches again to Pakistan following defeats within the first two Exams towards England.The sweeping modifications have added to the uncertainty surrounding Pakistan’s Check set-up, with a number of former gamers and distinguished voices within the sport questioning the timing and scale of the PCB’s choice.
Rashid Latif questions PCB’s dealing with of coaches
Pakistan had already been underneath appreciable stress after dropping the opening two Exams towards England. Nonetheless, fairly than retaining the identical group for the rest of the collection, the PCB opted for a significant reshuffle.Amongst these despatched dwelling had been senior gamers Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha. Check coach Sarfaraz Ahmed was additionally faraway from the set-up, with white-ball coach Mike Hesson taking cost for the third and last Check in Birmingham.Latif has now questioned why Sarfaraz and bowling coach Umar Gul had been despatched to the UK within the first place if the PCB meant to train such a excessive diploma of management over the staff.Taking to X, the previous Pakistan captain additionally referred to the departures of Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten, each of whom beforehand stepped down after disagreements over the extent of authority and freedom obtainable to them.Latif additionally introduced captain Babar Azam into the dialogue, suggesting that if the captain was not following the staff’s most well-liked route, the PCB ought to have eliminated him fairly than sending coaches again dwelling.“If the staff needed to be run by distant management, then why had been Sarfaraz and Umar Gul despatched? Why had been the choice powers taken away from Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie? And if captain Babar Azam wasn’t listening, the captain ought to have been sacked — so why had been Sarfaraz and Umar Gul despatched again as a substitute? Is Babar Azam the subsequent goal?” Latif wrote on X.
PCB faces backlash over seven-player overhaul
The PCB’s choice to make such sweeping modifications in the course of a Check collection has attracted criticism from a number of high-profile figures in Pakistan cricket.Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain, Ramiz Raja, Basit Ali and Shahid Afridi have all questioned the transfer, with the critics arguing that such drastic modifications may create much more instability inside an already struggling Pakistan aspect.The PCB, nevertheless, has defended its choice.Chairman Mohsin Naqvi beforehand backed the overhaul, insisting that the board had taken the tough step as a result of it believed it was needed for the betterment of the staff.
Pakistan’s Check struggles proceed
The dramatic modifications come towards the backdrop of Pakistan’s extended struggles within the longest format.Pakistan are at present on the backside of the World Check Championship (WTC) standings and have by no means been real contenders for a spot within the WTC last through the present cycle.The newest marketing campaign may even mark the fourth consecutive WTC cycle during which Pakistan end within the backside half of the standings, highlighting the extent of their issues in Check cricket.The defeat in England has solely intensified the scrutiny surrounding the staff’s route and the PCB’s decision-making course of.
One other captaincy change underneath scrutiny
Pakistan’s Check management has additionally undergone one other change this yr.Earlier in 2026, the PCB changed Shan Masood with Babar Azam as Check captain after Bangladesh accomplished a 2-0 collection victory over Pakistan.Babar’s return to the management position initially introduced some stability, with Pakistan drawing their two-Check collection towards the West Indies.Nonetheless, the staff’s fortunes rapidly deteriorated as soon as the aspect arrived in England. After dropping the opening two Exams, the PCB responded with a drastic squad overhaul, sending seven gamers and two members of the teaching workers dwelling.That call has now prompted recent questions over who is definitely making the important thing choices inside Pakistan cricket, with Latif’s feedback including one other layer to the rising controversy surrounding the board’s dealing with of the nationwide staff.