Shoaib Akhtar defends Fakhar Zaman, questions PCB after another qualification exit

Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has strongly criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management following the team’s latest qualification setback, saying the board’s decisions over the past few tournaments reflect confusion and poor planning.

Speaking after Pakistan’s recent performance, Akhtar argued that the final team combination selected proved that earlier choices were wrong.

“Today, they selected the right team and proved that the team we were playing before was wrong,” Akhtar said. “There was only one mistake here — and today they exposed it themselves.”

He pointed out that players who were finally given proper roles delivered with intent, specifically mentioning Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan  stating that both showed clarity and positive approach.

“If you give a genuine player a genuine job, he will perform for you,” he said, adding that Fakhar Zaman had been under unnecessary pressure for years and had not been backed consistently as a natural opener.

Akhtar also expressed frustration over the team’s broader direction, saying that Pakistan cricket appears “clueless” about its strategy across multiple tournaments.

“The things we have been doing for the past 15 days and the four tournaments we have been playing — we are clueless about it,” he remarked.

While clarifying that he personally respects PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, Akhtar questioned the management structure around him. He suggested that with the authority and resources available, repeated qualification failures indicate deeper issues within the board.

“If you have the power and the resources but still keep losing qualifiers in four tournaments, then there is something seriously wrong within the board,” Akhtar said.

Pakistan’s recent exit has once again sparked debate about team selection, leadership decisions, and long-term planning, with Akhtar’s comments adding further pressure on the PCB to address structural concerns moving forward.