Kamran Akmal Criticises PCB for Sending Senior Players Home Mid-Series
· Sports · Times of India, Indian Express
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board's decision to release seven players, including Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha and Imam-ul-Haq, midway through the ongoing Test series against England. The PCB announced the recall on Monday after Pakistan lost the first two Tests, also replacing head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul with white-ball coaches Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke for the third Test in Birmingham. Akmal said on the 'Game Plan' show that the seniors could simply have been dropped from the playing XI instead of being sent home, warning that the move will demoralise the remaining squad. He added that PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi needs to rebuild the entire system if such drastic steps are warranted. Rizwan managed only 61 runs across four innings in the series, while Agha had captained the opening Test at Headingley in Babar Azam's absence before being dropped for the Lord's Test.
Why it matters
The mid-series purge reflects deepening crisis in Pakistan cricket ahead of the third Test in Birmingham, with captaincy uncertainty around Babar Azam and a coaching overhaul raising questions about Pakistan's preparedness for upcoming ICC events including the T20 World Cup.
Read the original report — Times of India
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