Former Pakistani captain Shahid Afridi has sharply criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for its frequent changes in leadership and structure, attributing the team’s poor performance to this instability.
In a recent interview, Afridi stressed that any new system needs time to produce results. “When you change or introduce a new structure, you must give it time. Every year, a new chairman comes in and a new system is introduced. Things don’t work this way,” Afridi said.
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He suggested that all senior board members and players should collaboratively develop and implement a plan over a span of three years. “Let that plan be executed for three years. Let the results come. If you keep changing the system every year, what results can you expect?” he added.
Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, including losses to the United States and India, led to an early exit from the group stage. This marked the first time in T20 World Cup history that Pakistan failed to advance beyond the first round.
The PCB has responded by making several changes to the backroom staff, including dismissing selectors Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq, and is contemplating significant decisions regarding Babar Azam’s future as captain.
The board has experienced a rapid turnover in leadership: Ramiz Raja was replaced by Najam Sethi in 2022, Sethi was succeeded by Zaka Ashraf in mid-2023, and Ashraf was followed by Mohsin Naqvi in February 2024. Naqvi, after a brief tenure, removed Shaheen Afridi as T20I captain and reinstated Babar Azam.
