Pakistan’s former Prime Minister and legendary cricket captain, Imran Khan, has launched a fresh attack on the country’s cricket board. Speaking through his sister, Aleema Khanum, after her recent meeting with him at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, Imran accused PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi of being responsible for the decline of cricket in Pakistan.
This state of Pakistan cricket represents the state of the entire nation, as per Imran. The men’s team has been inconsistent across formats, rankings have dipped and internal issues within the PCB have only added to the chaos.
For a nation that has always been passionate about the game, the state of affairs has left fans questioning the leadership and direction of Pakistan cricket.
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Imran Khan Draws Parallel, Says Mohsin Naqvi Destroyed Cricket Like Asim Munir Destroyed Pakistan
Aleema quoted Imran Khan’s message while speaking to the media. She compared the damage done to cricket under Naqvi with the wider issues in the country.
From his perspective, the collapse of cricketing standards mirrors a wider decline across Pakistan’s governance.
"The way Mohsin Naqvi destroyed Pakistan cricket, Asim Munir is destroying Pakistan," Imran Khan said in his message to Aleema.
Pakistan Cricket in Crisis
Pakistan cricket today is going through one of its toughest phases. The national side has struggled to compete at the highest level and recently lost to teams like Bangladesh and the West Indies. The latest central contracts do not have a single player in the top category.
Since 2021, four different chairmen, Ramiz Raja, Najam Sethi, Zaka Ashraf, and now Mohsin Naqvi, have taken charge in PCB. Each change has brought new captains, coaches and selectors, breaking continuity.
Earlier this month, PCB held a nearly three-hour crisis meeting in Lahore, where officials tried to identify the main reasons for Pakistan’s decline. It was agreed that frequent chopping and changing of players and staff has been a major factor.
Officials admitted that frequent changes and the closure of cricket academies have hurt development. They promised that academies will be revived and future appointments will focus on stability.