Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Director High Performance Aaqib Javed has blamed team management for poor selection decisions that contributed to the brigade’s below-par performance on England tour.
“Two Test matches have come and gone and the team has not competed in any way,” Aaqib said in an interview.
“There’s one Test still to go. They had a pace all-rounder available, a second stumper, a fast bowler in Ubaid Shah. But those decisions were not being made. I spoke to the captain and coach and asked them to put Ubaid in because the other bowlers are all similarly paced,” Aaqib said.
Pakistan made dramatic changes after losing the opening two Tests of the three-match Test series, with seven players and two coaching staff members released before the final Test at Edgbaston.
Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad were sent home.
Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, Mohammad Imran Junior, Saad Baig, Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah have been added to the squad.
Sarfaraz and bowling coach Umar Gul were also removed, with white-ball head coach Mike Hesson taking charge of the Test side and Ashley Noffke becoming bowling coach.
He also criticised the balance of Pakistan’s batting line-up, noting that none of the top seven could provide an all-round option.
Aaqib questioned the decision to continue with wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan rather than Ghazi Ghori, while acknowledging Salman Ali Agha had been struggling for form.
“I understand dropping [Salman] Agha, who’s out of form, but you should have played Ghazi Ghori instead of [Mohammad] Rizwan,” he said.
Aaqib stressed that responsibility shifts to the captain and head coach once a squad begins a tour.
“When we select the team as coach or captain and make a squad, we are responsible for that squad. But once they go on tour, selection committee cannot do anything about the match-to-match combination,” he said.
He added that the players initially selected had earned their places but changes were necessary when performances deteriorated.
“No one doubted these players’ performances when selected. But when players are completely out of form, and you’re not competing at all, then we needed to make a decision,” Aaqib said.
Pakistan lost the first Test by an innings and 103 runs at Headingley and the second by 194 runs at Lord’s, leaving England with an unassailable 2-0 lead.
