Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has defended the major changes made to Pakistan’s Test squad during the ongoing England series, saying the decisions were “essential”.Pakistan made sweeping changes before the third and final Test against England, scheduled to begin on September 9.The move came after Pakistan lost the first two Tests heavily, with England taking an unassailable 2-0 lead. Pakistan lost the first Test by an innings, while the second ended in a 194-run defeat.

Naqvi responds to criticism

The changes have drawn strong criticism from former Pakistan cricketers, fans and analysts. However, Naqvi said he was not concerned by the backlash and maintained that the decisions during the England tour were necessary.He said he was also examining issues beyond the team’s poor performances but believed it was not the right time to discuss matters unrelated to cricket. While acknowledging Pakistan’s disappointing Test results, Naqvi pointed to improvements in the team’s white-ball cricket during his tenure.“I have never been afraid of criticism, and I never will be. Those who say cricket has been destroyed since I came – look at what the rankings were before,” he said as quoted by Geo News.

Major changes to Test squad

Following the second loss, the PCB released seven players from the squad: Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad.The board replaced them with five uncapped players, along with Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, who together have only 10 matches of experience. The new players include Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah.The PCB also made changes to the coaching staff, bringing in Mike Hesson as head coach and Ashley Noffke as bowling coach. Both are already part of Pakistan’s white-ball coaching set-up. Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul were released from their respective coaching roles.