New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) Former Pakistan batter Mohammad Yousuf has questioned the recent turmoil in Pakistan cricket, suggesting that the significant changes during the ongoing England Test tour are part of a recurring cycle of internal chaos and disagreements, rather than being purely performance-driven.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) implemented a significant overhaul after the team fell to a 0-2 deficit in the three-Test series against England, sending seven players and two coaching staff members home before the third Test.
Reacting to the developments, Yousuf stated that the decision to recall players and coaching staff seemed to involve factors beyond just performances. He also highlighted the ongoing instability that has persistently impacted Pakistan cricket over the years.
“The recent decision by the authorities to recall players and coaching staff from the ongoing tour does not appear to be only performance related,” Yousuf wrote on social media.
“After all, we are not sending legends like Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Inzamam-ul-Haq, or Saeed Anwar as replacements. Instead, this move reflects the familiar cycle of internal chaos, differences of opinion, and controversies that have long haunted Pakistan cricket,” he added.
Yousuf, who played 90 Tests and scored more than 7,500 runs for Pakistan, said the instability has repeatedly resurfaced since the team’s historic 1992 World Cup triumph.
“Since the glory of the 1992 World Cup, such turbulence has resurfaced time and again, eroding stability and distracting from the game itself,” he said.
His comments followed the PCB’s release of Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad from the Test squad after Pakistan’s 194-run defeat to England at Lord’s. Pakistan had already suffered an innings-and-103-run loss in the opening Test at Headingley.
The board also released red-ball head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul, with white-ball head coach Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke taking over the backroom responsibilities for the rest of the tour.
Yousuf said Pakistan has repeatedly experienced similar episodes and warned that continued off-field turbulence could further undermine the team’s progress and supporters’ confidence.
“We have endured such turmoil in different forms many times before, each episode leaving scars on the team’s progress and the fans’ faith,” he wrote.
“The lesson is clear! Only strong performances and consistent positive results can silence the noise. Pakistan cricket must focus on the field, not the boardroom, if it is to restore credibility and inspire confidence among fans. Success remains the most effective antidote,” Yousuf concluded.
Pakistan squad for third Test against England: Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Fazal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Razaullah, Saad Baig, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, Ubaid Shah.
–IANS
sds/vi
