Pakistan Great Drops Bombshell, Reveals PCB's 'True Purpose' Behind Squad Shake Up
Changes contiue to be made in the Pakistan men's national team, with several players and coaches facing the axe ahead of the third Test against England.
"The Pakistan cricket team has gone back 10 years," remarked Saeed Ajmal, one of the finest spinners in the country's history. As a new-look Pakistan team takes on England in the third and final Test at Edgbaston, hoping to avoid a 0-3 whitewash, Ajmal did not hold back from calling out everything that is going wrong with the national side. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has adopted a hardline stance that continues to see frequent changes made to the squad after every series. Reflecting on the recent shake-up in the team, which saw seven players sent home while two coaches were also replaced, Ajmal said that the players are being "humiliated" by the PCB, whose true intention is not to give opportunities to rookie players but to replace the current team entirely.
"The board itself has demotivated the players more than anyone else. The board is not letting any player settle. There are players who have done well, who have also been dropped. There are players who have been humiliated by the PCB," Ajmal said.
Ajmal also took a swipe at Aaqib Javed, the team's high-performance director, and Mike Hesson, who has been placed in charge of Pakistan's red-ball side ahead of the third Test against England.
"Aaqib Javed and Mike Hesson (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 said on Samaa TV.
"Our team has gone back 10 years. We have not planned for the future," he added.
For a player to perform in top-tier cricket, consistent opportunities are vital. However, Ajmal feels the PCB's true intention is simply to replace players.
"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 for certain reasons. He was spoken to about it," he said.
Pakistan Cricket Team
Saeed Ajmal