Islamabad: Shapes Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has partially retracted his harsh criticism of Mohsin Naqvichairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), less than 24 hours after calling him “incompetent and illiterate” during an appearance on an Indian television channel. The dramatic shift in tone came when Akhtar appeared as an expert on Pakistani broadcaster ARY Newswhere he clarified that his earlier remarks were not directed personally at Naqvi but were meant in a broader context.
Akhtar’s original comments triggered widespread debate across cricket circles in both India and Pakistan, with clips circulating widely on social media. His subsequent attempt to walk back the statements has further intensified discussion about the PCB’s functioning and Pakistan cricket’s recent struggles.
What Akhtar said in his original criticism
During an interview with Indian channel ABP NewsAkhtar strongly questioned Naqvi’s suitability to head the cricket board. Using a comparison, he argued that placing someone without domain knowledge at the top of a specialist organisation can damage its functioning.
He said that appointing an “incompetent and illiterate person” to a major leadership role was among the “biggest crimes,” and suggested that Pakistan cricket would suffer if led by someone unfamiliar with the sport’s ecosystem. The remarks were widely interpreted as being directly aimed at Naqvi’s appointment as PCB chairman.
The comments came at a time when Pakistan cricket has been under pressure following disappointing performances and administrative controversies, making the criticism even more sensitive.
Retraction attempt on Pakistani television
Appearing later on ARY News, Akhtar softened his stand and claimed his words had been taken out of context. He said the phrases he used were not meant specifically for Naqvi and that the discussion was about incompetence in a general administrative sense.
Akhtar stated that he respected Naqvi and described him as someone who wants to help Pakistan cricket but may not always receive the right advice. He suggested that the way his earlier comments were presented made it appear as though they were directly targeted at the PCB chief.
During the broadcast, Akhtar appeared to struggle at points while explaining the distinction he was trying to draw, repeatedly clarifying that he did not intend to personally insult Naqvi. He also said that television packaging and editing contributed to the misunderstanding.
Says anger was about policy U-turn
Even while moderating his language, Akhtar admitted that he remains unhappy with Naqvi over what he described as a policy U-turn regarding a proposed boycott stance against India during a major T20 tournament discussion. According to him, Naqvi had initially taken a strong stand but later softened it.
Akhtar said the cricketing community had backed that earlier position and felt let down by the reversal. He added that he would have preferred broader consultation before such a shift and indicated that this issue — rather than board management alone — contributed to his frustration.
Fresh criticism of current Pakistan players
During the same ARY News appearance, Akhtar also commented on the performances of leading Pakistan cricketers, including Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi. He said Babar is not ideally suited to the T20 format unless used as an opener and claimed that his effectiveness drops in the middle order.
On Shaheen Afridi, Akhtar expressed concern about fitness and pace, stating that the left-arm fast bowler is currently not bowling at his usual speeds. He also questioned certain team selections and combinations, suggesting that Pakistan is lagging far behind top sides in modern T20 approach and preparation.
Akhtar broadened the criticism to include the cricketing system, media, and former players, saying that multiple stakeholders share responsibility for the current state of affairs. He stressed that insufficient investment in grassroots infrastructure has hurt long-term competitiveness.
Conclusion
The quick reversal in tone from Shoaib Akhtar highlights the sensitivity surrounding cricket administration in Pakistan and the intense scrutiny faced by the PCB leadership. While his clarification may reduce immediate friction, the episode has again spotlighted deeper concerns about governance, selection strategy and performance standards in Pakistan cricket. The debate sparked by his remarks is likely to continue as the team and board face ongoing public and expert evaluation.
Comments are closed.