Pakistan Cricket Set for Major Changes as Aaqib Javed Faces Removal

Mohsin Naqvi is preparing to swing the axe.

Pakistan’s cricket set-up, already reeling from a string of defeats and chaotic decisions, is bracing for sweeping changes as the PCB chairman moves to overhaul key positions in the coming days, according to a PTI report.

At the heart of it sits the national selection committee – and senior selector Aaqib Javed.

Aaqib Javed set to be removed

Aaqib, the former Test pacer, is expected to be relieved of his duties as senior selector, a move that would mark a clear break from the selection calls that have dominated recent weeks.

He was the central figure behind the controversial Test squad reshuffle earlier this month, after Pakistan’s defeat in the Lord’s Test against England. That decision saw as many as seven players sent home mid-tour, along with two coaches – head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul.

The fallout has been fierce. Aaqib has faced sustained criticism not only for those abrupt changes, but also for a broader pattern of chopping and changing across coaching roles and captaincy.

Inside the PCB, the mood has shifted.

“Even Mohsin Naqvi has now realised that some radical measures are required to end the losing streak and abrupt happenings in Pakistan cricket. So these changes are now on the cards,” an internal source said.

Wahab Riaz next in the firing line

Aaqib is not the only former fast bowler in the spotlight.

Wahab Riaz, currently serving as a mentor with the Pakistan women’s team, is also expected to be released from his role. His exit is likely to come after the conclusion of the women’s Asian Games campaign in Japan later this month.

That timing is no coincidence. The PCB is already looking at a broader reset around the women’s side as well.

Sources indicated that the board has opened negotiations with several foreign coaches to take over as head coach of the women’s team once the Asian Games are done. The current structure appears to be living on borrowed time.

Hesson’s interest reshapes the men’s set-up

The turbulence on the England tour did not happen in a vacuum.

The report suggests that the PCB’s decision to change coaches mid-series was heavily influenced by white-ball coach Mike Hesson signalling strong interest in taking on an all-format role with the men’s team.

That possibility has clearly tempted the board, but Hesson has not come to the table empty-handed.

He has laid down his terms for accepting the red-ball coaching position. He wants time to put his plans in place, a fixed and agreed timeframe for his tenure, and – crucially – guarantees that his decision-making will not be undermined by interference.

For a system long plagued by short-termism and political pressure, those demands cut straight to the core.

High-stakes meeting on the horizon

Naqvi now stands at a crossroads.

“Naqvi will soon hold a high-level meeting with his aides and also take the governing board members into confidence before final decisions are made on the changes,” the source said.

That meeting will shape not only who picks Pakistan’s teams, but also who leads and mentors them across both men’s and women’s cricket.

The losing streak has forced his hand. The abrupt sackings and mid-tour upheavals have exposed the fault lines. Now the chairman must decide: does he back his radical reset with the same conviction in the months ahead, or risk Pakistan slipping back into the same cycle of crisis and quick fixes?