Javed Miandad criticizes Pakistan cricket governance, expresses concern over frequent changes

Pakistan cricket legend Javed Miandad expressed concern about the unstable state of cricket governance in the country. Javed Miandad stated that the frequent changes and appointments within the PCB leadership have negatively impacted the players’ confidence.

The Pakistan Cricket Board made changes in leadership following a disappointing performance in the Asia Cup and ODI World Cup. Babar Azam resigned from the captaincy across all three formats. Shaheen Afridi and Shan Masood were named T20I and Test captains.

Mohammad Hafeez and Wahab Riaz have taken on significant roles in Pakistan cricket. Hafeez became the Director of Cricket while assuming the position of Chief Selector of the Men’s team. However, the Men in Green have encountered challenges in achieving the desired results.

The Pakistan team faced defeats in both the three-match Test series against Australia and the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. The Shan Masood-led team suffered a clean sweep in the Test series. They secured only one victory in the T20I series in New Zealand.

Don’t Think Anywhere Such Frequent Appointments And Changes – Javed Miandad

Speaking to the media during the launch of the Sindh Premier League, Javed Miandad expressed his dissatisfaction with Pakistan’s cricketing structure. Miandad remarked that he hadn’t witnessed such cricket governance issues anywhere else in the world.

“I have not seen cricket governance anywhere in the world like we see in Pakistan and these state of affairs are really sad,” Miandad told media.

“I don’t think anywhere such frequent appointments and changes in cricket are made and it only means that we don’t have continuity in our cricket structure and more importantly the players don’t gain confidence,” he added.

The Pakistan team concluded the 2023 World Cup in fifth place, securing only four wins out of nine matches in the group stage. The team has not reached the semifinals of the ICC ODI World Cup since 2011 when they were defeated by eventual champions India.

Since Last Year We Have Had A Really Bad Time – Javed Miandad

Javed Miandad expressed concern that Pakistan is falling behind other teams due to the management approach of the national cricket board. Miandad attributed Pakistan’s cricketing struggles to decisions made by individuals lacking cricket knowledge.

“Since last year we have had a really bad time in terms of our team’s performances and people who have no knowledge of cricket sit and take decisions which affect the entire structure in the country,” stated Miandad.

Zaka Ashraf recently resigned from his position as head of the PCB Management Committee. Ashraf, who took over from Najam Sethi, was appointed on July 6, 2023, and his term was later extended by the caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar in November.

After his resignation, Mohsin Naqvi was appointed as the new chairman of the PCB on January 22. The team’s upcoming international engagement is a five-match T20I series in England in May, leading up to the T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies.

Also read: Babar Azam Breaks Javed Miandad, Inzamam-ul-Haq’s Historic Record To Top The Elite List