PCB Chairman Expresses Concern Over Lack of Depth in Pakistan Cricket Team
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has expressed concerns over the perceived lack of depth within the national team, stating that the selectors have a limited player pool to choose from. Following Pakistan’s first-ever Test defeat against Bangladesh, Naqvi announced the mentors for the newly created Champions Cup, believing the tournament will unearth talented players capable of stepping up to the national side.
Naqvi, who previously suggested the need for “major surgery” in the Pakistan squad after their poor T20 World Cup campaign, now acknowledges that the systemic strength to enable such drastic measures is lacking. “The problem is the selection committee has no pool to turn to from which to select players,” he said. “We don’t have any solid data or player pool which we can draw from. The whole system was a mess. The Champions Cup will produce great talent, and we’ll have records for the games that happen.”
The PCB Chairman believes the 100-ball cricket tournament will provide comprehensive data and records to inform future selections, with 80% of the 150 players selected through artificial intelligence and the remaining 20% by the selectors. “If we replace a player with a worse one, you’ll be the first to complain. We’ll have records and we’ll all be able to see transparently who deserves a place in the team,” Naqvi stated.
Naqvi also attempted to shield the selection committee from criticism over the decision to not play a spinner in the first Test against Bangladesh, insisting it was a choice made by the team management. “Losing to Bangladesh is sad but the selection committee had given the team 17 players. If the coach or captain aren’t playing some of them, that’s their decision,” he said.
The second Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh, a crucial match for the hosts to avoid a series defeat, is scheduled from August 30 to September 3 in Rawalpindi.
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