The PCB’s decision to make such sweeping changes in the middle of a series has drawn criticism from former players
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File photo of Kamran Akmal(Credits: X)
Pakistan’s Test tour of England has turned into a major crisis with the Pakistan Cricket Board facing questions over its handling of the teamThe board has launched an internal inquiry into player discipline after reports claimed that mobile phones were taken from some cricketers and their data transferredThe move has added to the criticism surrounding Pakistan’s poor performance in the series.
The inquiry came after Pakistan lost the first two Tests against England and fell 2-0 behind in the three-match seriesThe PCB has not disclosed the exact allegations, but the decision to investigate player conduct has led to questions about what happened inside the teamCritics have accused the board of creating a diversion from the results in England.
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Pakistan’s problems on the field began in the first Test at Headingley, where England won by an innings and 103 runsEngland’s bowlers kept control of the match, while Pakistan struggled to put together a strong batting performanceThe defeat exposed the gap between the two sides and left Pakistan under pressure before the second Test.
The second Test at Lord’s was another disappointing outingEngland won by 194 runs after Pakistan failed to chase down a difficult targetThe result gave England an unassailable 2-0 lead and confirmed Pakistan’s series defeatThe team’s batting again came under scrutiny, while England’s bowlers made the most of the conditions.
The losses also led to major changes in Pakistan’s squad and coaching staffSeven players were sent home, while head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and assistant coach Umar Gul were removed from their positionsWhite-ball coach Mike Hesson was given charge of the Test team for the final match with Ashley Noffke taking over as bowling coach.
The PCB’s decision to make such sweeping changes in the middle of a series has drawn criticism from former playersSome have questioned whether the board acted too quickly after the defeats, while others have raised concerns about the lack of stability in Pakistan cricketThe inquiry into player conduct has only added to the uncertainty around the team.
Former wicket-keeper batter Kamran Akmal also voiced his opinion, claiming that the players must be in a terrible state of mind after getting their phones snatched by the team management.
“The players must be down mentallyIn the last two days, we have heard that the phones have been takenIt has been reported that the data was transferred and the phones were taken away for four hoursI have heard that four players who are in England have also had their phones taken awaySo, the atmosphere would be very bad, and players would be panicking right now,” Kamran Akmal said in a Pakistani TV show.
The third and series concluding Test match between Pakistan and England, at Edgbaston, will start from 9 September onwards.
