Former captain Shahid Afridi has raised questions over the major changes made by the Pakistan Cricket Board to the squad and coaching staff ahead of the third Test against England. Shahid Afridi has said that the logic and strategy behind the board’s recent decisions are beyond his understanding.
The former captain particularly expressed surprise over the selection of replacement players. He said that players who have been more prominent in the T20 format have been included for a Test match in England. He questioned what thinking and strategy are behind this selection.
Shahid Afridi also expressed concerns over the change in the coaching staff. He said that the decision to remove the coach after only five Test matches is surprising. Changes should certainly be made to improve the team’s performance, but there should also be a clear plan and future strategy behind these decisions.
The former captain said that sudden and continuous changes can affect the team’s overall environment and performance. Expecting results without giving players and coaching staff sufficient time is not the right strategy.
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Significant changes have been made to Pakistan’s Test squad ahead of the third Test against England. The Pakistan Cricket Board has released Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Mohammad Owais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad from the squad.
Seven new players have been included in place of these players. The new squad includes Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Junior, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran, also known as Imran Randhawa, and Razaullah.
Five of these new players have been included in Pakistan’s Test squad for the first time. Following the inclusion of a large number of new players, fans’ attention has also shifted towards the selection regarding the team combination and the possible playing XI for the third Test.
The PCB has not limited the changes to the players and has also made changes to the coaching staff. Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul have been released from their responsibilities, while Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke have been given new responsibilities.
Other athletes associated with Pakistan cricket team have also reacted. Shoaib Malik tweeted that the players that are dropped from the squad are still national players and phrases such as “sent on the first flight back” are disrespectful.
Similarly Pakistani ex-coach Mickey Arthur called the decision of PCB ridiculous.
These changes have been made at a time when Pakistan has already suffered a decisive 2-0 defeat in the three-Test series against England. Following defeats in the first two matches of the series, pressure on Pakistan to restore its reputation in the third Test has increased.
The Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle also commented. He said that one can trust Pakistan cricket to do the unbelievable.
The former English player Kevin Pietersen also commented. He said he could not belive the changes Pakistan cricket were making.
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