Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar launched a fierce attack on Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi after Pakistan’s heavy 61-run loss to India in the T20 World Cup. Akhtar said Pakistan’s current situation is the result of poor leadership and bad decisions over many years.
Speaking to ABP News after the match, he criticised the PCB leadership, saying, “One guy who does not know anything has become the Pakistan Cricket Board’s chairman. What can you do? How will the team run?” He also slammed the team’s reliance on underperforming superstar players, saying, “You have made a superstar out of a player who cannot win you a game.” Akhtar added that poor appointments are a major problem, calling it “The biggest crime in the world is to give a particular job to incompetent people.” He even described Naqvi as “incompetent and ‘jaahil'” and said he was not fit to lead the board.Akhtar also criticised Pakistan’s performance, saying the team was far behind India and lacked modern-day cricket standards. He said Pakistan have failed to invest in talent for years and can no longer compete with India at the highest level.In the match, India scored 175/7 thanks to Ishan Kishan’s 77 and useful contributions from Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube. Pakistan’s chase collapsed early, falling to 13/3 in just two overs. Babar Azam was dismissed cheaply, and despite Usman Khan’s 44, the team kept losing wickets regularly.India’s bowlers dominated, with Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Varun Chakravarthy sharing wickets as Pakistan were bowled out for 114 in 18 overs.
