Former Pakistan head coach Mudassar Nazar and former captain Mohammad Yousuf have criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recent decisions, questioning the reasoning behind major changes to the Test coaching setup.
Nazar and Yousuf expressed surprise over the decision to remove former Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul from the Test coaching staff, particularly when they believed the bowling unit had been performing well.
“If the bowling was going well, why was Umar Gul removed?” the former cricketers questioned while criticizing the frequent changes being made to Pakistan’s coaching staff and team management.
They said the repeated changes had become a source of embarrassment for Pakistan cricket, adding that the situation had gone beyond the criticism the team previously faced after defeats.
“People used to laugh when Pakistan lost, but now things have gone too far,” they said.
They also pointed out that the number of changes made during an away series was unusually high compared with the changes normally seen during a home series.
The former cricketers also questioned the Pakistan team’s attire at a High Commission function, expressing surprise that the players attended the event in clothing they considered inappropriate for the occasion.
They noted that the entire team would normally attend such official events wearing the Pakistan tour shirt.
Yousuf further said that recalling players and members of the coaching staff during a tour could not simply be blamed on poor performances. He argued that the decisions once again highlighted disagreements, internal unrest and controversies within Pakistan cricket.
Their comments came after the PCB made sweeping changes to Pakistan’s Test setup following defeats in the first two Tests against England at Headingley and Lord’s.
The board released seven players from the squad ahead of the third and final Test: Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Ali Usman, Khurram Shahzad, Aamer Jamal, Salman Ali Agha and Awais Zafar.
They were replaced by Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig, Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jr and Razaullah.
The PCB also made changes to the coaching staff, releasing red-ball head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul from their respective roles.
White-ball head coach Mike Hesson and bowling coach Ashley Noffke will oversee the team for the final Test against England.
The third and final Test is scheduled to be played in Birmingham from September 9 to 13, with England having already secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
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