My critics were actually responsible for decline in Pakistan cricket, says Naqvi
Changes were necessary, PCB chairman says in London talk: Urges fans and officials to keep faith in players and rejects humiliation of cricketers: Pakistan will rise in Test too as rise in T20 and ODI rankings
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has dismissed criticism, saying people who are targeting him should remember that Pakistan cricket had declined during the period when those critics were involved.
“Those who criticise me are the same people whose arrival led to the downfall of cricket,” he said.
According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, speaking in London, Mohsin Naqvi has defended recent changes to the national cricket setup, saying they were necessary and that the team can improve across all three formats.
Naqvi said the changes made by the board were unavoidable and added that officials were examining factors beyond players’ performances.
“The changes were inevitable,” he said. “Apart from performance, there are some other factors that we are also looking at.”
The PCB chairman said he expected Pakistan to make progress in Test cricket as well as in one-day and Twenty20 cricket. He also called for continued trust in the players and said the board would not tolerate their humiliation.
He said poor results should not lead to the conclusion that a team’s cricket had come to an end. Referring to recent results involving other countries, he noted that South Africa had lost to Namibia and India had also lost to Ireland.
“Does that mean their cricket is over? No team becomes a champion overnight,” he said.
Naqvi pointed to Pakistan’s recent movement in the international rankings as evidence that progress had already been made. He said Pakistan had risen from ninth to sixth in Twenty20 internationals and from eighth to fifth in one-day internationals.
He said the board would continue working to improve the team while maintaining confidence in the players.
Mohsin Naqvi's message to critics. ️
— Salman. (@TsMeSalman1_) September 3, 2026
"South Africa lost to Namibia, and India also lost to Ireland. Does that mean their cricket is over? No team becomes a champion overnight. Pakistan have already improved from 9th to 6th in T20Is & 8th to 5th in ODIs". pic.twitter.com/EsIqZXy3py