‘Pakistan have gone back 10 years’: Ajmal blasts PCB over England series chaos
Former Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal heavily criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board [PCB] after seven players were sent home and head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed was axed with one Test still left in the England series.
Ajmal accused the PCB of doing more to demoralise Pakistan's players than their critics ever could, as the country's cricket team descended into turmoil following their defeat at Lord's.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had urged critics to stop targeting the players, insisting it was unfair to demotivate them.
But Ajmal was having none of it.
Speaking on Samaa TV, the former Pakistan star claimed the board itself was responsible for creating the crisis.
“The board itself has demotivated the players more than anyone else. The board is not letting any player stand. There are players who have done well, who are also dropped. There are players who have been humiliated by PCB. Aaqib Javed [Pakistan selector] and Mike Hesson [Pakistan white-ball coach who has been asked to take over the Test team for the third Test] are a team. These two are controlling everything and are responsible for this whole mess. The whole issue is about egos.”
Ajmal, who took 362 international wickets during his Pakistan career, also questioned the direction of the national team and accused the board of failing to plan ahead.
“Our team have gone back 10 years. We have not planned for the future,” he added.
The extraordinary upheaval came after Pakistan lost the Lord's Test, leaving them facing the prospect of an England series whitewash.
Seven players were reportedly ordered to return home, while head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also removed from their positions.
Among those sent back was Imam-ul-Haq, who did not bat in either innings at Lord's and faced questions over his reported calf injury.
Naqvi, however, insisted the decisions were not motivated by personal grudges.
In an interview with Geo Network, the PCB chief argued that every match in a series mattered and said changes had been made because replacements were needed when players were not performing.
“Every match of a series is important for us, and we are not left with any option if a player is not performing but to look for his replacement. The purpose behind these changes is not to axe players from contention, but just to replace them. Consider [Salman] Agha, who is a very good player, but he could not click because of some reasons. He was spoken to about it,” he said.
Naqvi had also urged critics to stop demotivating the players, saying it was unfair to blame them for the team's struggles.
However, Ajmal's furious response suggests the PCB's attempt to steady the ship has instead opened another major row.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. With Pakistan already trailing the series and the final Test looming at Edgbaston, the pressure on the country's cricket authorities could hardly be greater.
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