Pakistan cricket enters rebuilding phase after England tour collapse

shoaib akhtar and babar azam

Pakistan cricket appears to be entering a major rebuilding phase after a disastrous start to the England tour, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) already making significant changes before the three-Test series has even reached its conclusion. England have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead after registering two emphatic victories. The hosts won the first Test at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs before securing a 194-run triumph at Lord’s. Pakistan’s poor performances have since triggered a major overhaul of the national setup. Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul have departed the coaching setup, while Mike Hesson has taken charge of the team with former Australia seamer Ashley Noffke joining him as an assistant. The PCB has also made a significant call on the playing group, removing seven players from the squad for the third and final Test. Among those sent back are senior names such as Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq and Salman Ali Agha, with the board seemingly turning its attention towards a younger generation.

Shoaib Akhtar explains PCB's thinking

Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has now offered his assessment of the dramatic changes, claiming the PCB has effectively lost confidence in a large part of the existing squad. Speaking on the OutSide EDGE show, Akhtar suggested that the board is no longer simply reacting to the England defeats but is instead using the tour as an opportunity to accelerate a wider rebuilding process. “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. The former pacer, however, stressed that Pakistan must be careful while making such a transition. He specifically named Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf as three players whose careers should be protected as the team undergoes major changes. “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.

'Nothing' expected from current Pakistan squad

Akhtar also claimed that a conversation with a PCB official gave him a revealing insight into the board's expectations from the current team. According to the former Pakistan pacer, he asked the official what the PCB expected from the side during its England tour. The response, he said, was blunt. “Nothing. We have expectations from the next generation of players that we are preparing for the big stage,” Akhtar quoted the official as saying. Akhtar further claimed that the same official described the state of Pakistan cricket as being “on a ventilator” and believed it could take around two years to revive the national setup. The comments underline the scale of the challenge facing the PCB, particularly after Pakistan's inability to put up a strong fight in either of the first two Tests.

Akhtar questions Pakistan's lack of fight

The 51-year-old also spoke about what he saw during his visit to the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. Akhtar said he was there during the second Test and noticed considerable infrastructure work taking place. “After 26 years, there is work being done at the academy now,” Akhtar said. Despite the upheaval surrounding the senior team, Akhtar suggested that the developments should not have come as a surprise.

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When asked whether the turmoil had shocked him, he responded: “What is the shock there? Didn’t you expect that?” He was equally critical when Pakistan's struggles against England were discussed. Reflecting on the two heavy defeats, Akhtar summed up the team's performances in stark terms. “We didn’t have the fight in us,” he said. Pakistan will now travel to Edgbaston for the third Test, where they will attempt to prevent England from completing a 3-0 series whitewash. However, the decisions taken by the PCB before the series has even ended suggest that the problems confronting Pakistan cricket are being viewed as much bigger than the outcome of this England tour.

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