Mohsin Naqvi Defends Test Squad Overhaul Amid Backlash

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has doubled down on the sweeping overhaul of Pakistan’s Test squad in England, insisting the drastic shake-up was not panic, but necessity.

With England already 2-0 up and the series gone, Pakistan responded to two heavy defeats by detonating the status quo before the third and final Test, starting September 9. An innings loss in the opener, followed by a 194-run hammering in the second, left the tourists bruised, exposed and, in Naqvi’s view, in urgent need of surgery rather than bandages.

Naqvi stands his ground

The backlash came quickly. Former players lined up in television studios, analysts dissected the decisions, fans vented across social media. The accusation was clear: too much, too soon.

Naqvi did not flinch.

He described the decisions as “essential”, arguing that the England tour had laid bare deeper issues that could no longer be ignored. He made it clear he was looking beyond just the scorecards.

He also hinted at broader problems around the team environment and structure, but parked those for another day, saying this was not the time to air matters unrelated directly to cricket. The message: the house needs cleaning, but not all of it will be done in public.

While accepting that Pakistan’s Test performances under his watch have been poor, Naqvi pointed to the white-ball arena as evidence of progress. He urged critics to look at where Pakistan stood in the rankings before he took over, stressing that he has never shied away from scrutiny and does not intend to start now.

Seven out, seven in: a brutal reset

The real shock came with the team sheet.

After the second Test defeat, the PCB released seven players from the squad: Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad. Big names, familiar faces, all told their services were no longer required for the final match of the series.

In their place, Pakistan have gone young. Raw. And very inexperienced.

Five uncapped players have been drafted in: Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah. They join Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, who between them have only 10 matches of international experience.

It is a bold gamble. England away is one of the toughest assignments in Test cricket, hardly a gentle introduction for rookies. Yet Naqvi and the PCB have chosen this moment to redraw the map, signalling that sentiment and seniority will not shield underperformers.

Coaching shake-up completes the overhaul

The clear-out has not stopped with the players.

The PCB has also moved decisively on the coaching front, bringing in Mike Hesson as head coach and Ashley Noffke as bowling coach for the Test set-up. Both men are already embedded in Pakistan’s white-ball structure, a sign the board wants a more unified philosophy running through all formats.

Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul, who had been part of the previous coaching group, have been released from their roles. Two former Pakistan stalwarts, moved aside as the board turns to a different kind of expertise and a different direction.

Naqvi’s stance is unmistakable: this is not a tweak, it is a reset. The third Test at least offers one thing Pakistan have not had on this tour so far — a chance to see whether this ruthless break from the past can spark the beginning of something new, or simply deepen the questions about where their Test cricket is heading.