Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Veteran Pakistan batter Ahmed Shehzad has openly criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after the team’s recent poor performances. He also drew a stark comparison between player quality in the IPL and PSL.“If you look at the IPL, they’ve got many superstars in their league who make the league competitive. Teams there invest for years, building strength,” Shehzad said on his YouTube channel.“On the other hand, PSL has hired retired players and commentators and made them superstars over the last 3–4 years; even retired players become your brand faces. They get money, but what have they actually built? I think this sums up what PSL has become.”
In the T20 World Cup, Pakistan failed to reach the semifinals and then suffered a disappointing ODI series defeat against Bangladesh, prompting a strong reaction from the cricketer. He described the current phase as one of the weakest he has seen and blamed both players and management for the decline.
Strong criticism of players and PCB
Shehzad questioned the quality and impact of the current group of players, especially those who have been consistently backed by the board. He said, “The calibre of your players is not at that level, which was built up as a brand by the Pakistan Cricket Board for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 5 and 7 years ago. These 6-8 boys… they are also the face of the PSL. They are also the face of our Pakistan team. Will they change Pakistan’s destiny?”He further accused the PCB of heavily investing in a small group of players without getting results. “You provided all the sponsorships to those boys, endorsed them, and invested money in them. You gave them captaincies in the PSL, right? You made them the thumb of the Pakistan team. You handed over the entire Pakistan cricket team to those 6 boys and their agents. And what have they done now? The fire they have lit in the jungle, the fun and parties they have had, the pockets they have filled, the enjoyment they have had… they haven’t given Pakistan any wins by doing so,” he added.
‘PCB looks weak, players not accountable’
Shehzad also slammed the players for not taking responsibility and said the board appears powerless in front of them. “Such is the audacity (of the players) that even today, they are not ready to admit that we are responsible. Not a single one of those players. Even today, they play the blame game. Even today, their ego is such that it isn’t breaking. So weak is the Pakistan Cricket Board now,” he said.He concluded with a harsh take on PCB’s functioning, adding, “Whenever you talk about any player, they start spinning stories. I have never seen the Pakistan Cricket Board this weak in my life, as weak as this PCB is. They have power, right? But in their decision-making, they appear to be kneeling before their players. This PCB can’t do anything. The work they were supposed to do — bringing in new faces — they didn’t. What they do is, after every event, they try to pull a new trick, but the public has now caught their pattern.”
