Former Pakistan cricketer Javed Miandad has expressed his discontent with the frequent changes in the cricket administration in the country, highlighting the adverse effects on players’ confidence. Pakistan, after a promising start to 2023, faced setbacks in the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup, leading to significant changes in leadership.
I have not seen cricket governance anywhere in the world like we see in Pakistan- Javed Miandad
Javed Miandad, speaking at the launch of the Sindh Premier League, voiced his disappointment, stating:
“I have not seen cricket governance anywhere in the world like we see in Pakistan, and these states of affairs are really sad. I don’t think anywhere such frequent appointments and changes in cricket are made, and it only means that we don’t have continuity in our cricket structure, and more importantly, the players don’t gain confidence,”
After the ODI World Cup, Babar Azam stepped down from captaincy across all formats, with Shan Masood and Shaheen Afridi taking over in Tests and T20Is, respectively. Additionally, Mohammad Hafeez assumed the role of director of cricket, and Wahab Riaz became the head of the national selection committee.
Pakistan Cricket Board in a state of mess over the past 3 years
The recent resignation of Zaka Ashraf as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s Interim Management Committee led to Mohsin Naqvi’s appointment as the new chairman. However, the changes in leadership have not translated into positive outcomes on the field for Pakistan, with a Test series whitewash in Australia and a string of losses in the T20I series in New Zealand.
Javed Miandad’s concerns center on decision-makers lacking cricketing knowledge, impacting the overall cricketing structure in Pakistan. Despite ascending to World No.1 in ODIs before the Asia Cup downturn, Pakistan faces challenges, and Miandad hopes for stability in the cricket administration to foster players’ confidence. The team’s next scheduled international assignment is a five-match T20I series in England in May ahead of the T20 World Cup in June.