Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has backed the Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision to rebuild the national team after a disappointing Test series in England, saying the focus now appears to be on younger players.
Pakistan have struggled badly on the England tour, losing the first two Tests and conceding an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. England won the opening Test by an innings and 103 runs at Headingley before securing a 194-run victory at Lord’s.
The poor results have already triggered major changes in Pakistan cricket. Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul have left the coaching setup, while Mike Hesson has taken charge with former Australia fast bowler Ashley Noffke joining his support staff.
The PCB has also made significant changes to the squad for the third Test, dropping seven players, including Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq and Salman Ali Agha.
Akhtar believes the changes reflect the board’s growing disappointment with the current group. Speaking on the OutSide EDGE show, he said the PCB was now looking towards a younger generation and preparing players for the future.
According to Akhtar, the board has little expectation from the existing squad and wants to develop players who are more committed to representing Pakistan.
However, the former pacer urged the PCB to protect three key fast bowlers during the rebuilding process — Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf. He believes all three still have plenty of cricket left and should be carefully managed during the transition.
Akhtar also claimed that a PCB official had described the state of Pakistan cricket in extremely worrying terms. He said the official told him that expectations were now being placed on the next generation and suggested that it could take around two years to revive the national setup.
Despite the turmoil, Akhtar said he noticed positive developments at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. He revealed that work was being carried out at the facility during his visit.
Reflecting on Pakistan’s heavy defeats in England, Akhtar offered a blunt assessment of the team’s performances. He said the side simply did not show enough fight during the two Tests.
Pakistan now face the final Test at Edgbaston, where they will try to avoid a 3-0 series whitewash. But with major squad and coaching changes already underway, the PCB appears to be thinking beyond the England series and preparing for a wider transformation of Pakistan cricket.
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