There is an earthquake in Pakistan cricket. After the crushing defeat in the first two Test matches on the England tour, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took a big step and changed almost half the team. 7 players including Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq and Salman Ali Aga were sent home. Not only this, Test team coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also dismissed.
PCB has appointed Mike Hesson as the coach of the Test team. Hesson is already coaching the Pakistani ODI and T20 teams. Now he has got the responsibility of test also. Former Australian fast bowler Ashley Noffke has joined him as his assistant.
Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has given a big statement on these changes after the continuous poor performance of the Pakistani team. He says that PCB no longer has any expectations from the current team. The board is now looking towards young players. Referring to the conversation he had with a PCB official, Shoaib has said that Pakistan cricket is on ventilator.
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PCB's focus now on the future – Akhtar
Shoaib said on the show 'Outside Edge' that the board has accelerated the process of rebuilding the team. He said, 'PCB itself was very disappointed with these players and they have no expectations from this Pakistan team. The plan is to remove this squad and replace them with young and new players. Such players who only want to play for Pakistan. They are now focusing on the future and working in the right direction.
Shoaib advised PCB to be careful during this change. He especially took the names of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf and said that their careers should be protected. There is still a lot of cricket left in this trio.
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'It will take two years to strengthen the team'
Shoaib also claimed that a conversation with a PCB official gave him important information about the board's expectations from the current team. The former Pakistan fast bowler told that he had asked an official what expectations the PCB had from the team on the England tour. Shoaib quoted the officer as saying, 'Nothing. We have expectations from the next generation of players, whom we are preparing for the big stage.
Shoaib further informed that the same official described the situation of Pakistan cricket on ventilator and said that it may take about two years to get the national setup back on track.