Former Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq has criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for what he called a reactive approach to dealing with the national team following the decision to send seven players and two coaches home during the ongoing Test tour of England.Misbah, who recently stepped down as Pakistan’s national selector, resigned soon after the PCB announced its decision earlier this week. This came after the board issued show cause notices to each member of the selection committee.Following the PCB’s decision, head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were dropped from the Test team and seven players were also dropped. Pakistan subsequently sent their white-ball players to England for the final match of the series.
Misbah claims double standards
Speaking on a TV show, Misbah questioned the way local coaches are treated in Pakistan cricket compared to their foreign counterparts.Overseas coaches are given more authority but are subject to far less scrutiny when results don’t go their way, the former captain said.“It is a fact that in Pakistan cricket, local and foreign coaches are treated differently. Local coaches have to face more scrutiny and criticism compared to foreign coaches,” he said.Misbah made it clear that his criticism was not aimed at the appointment of the foreign coaches themselves. Instead, he argued that the wider cricket ecosystem tends to make the job easier for foreign coaches.“I don’t think there is anything wrong with having foreign coaches, but what worries me is that we (fans, critics, media, PCB) tend to have a soft spot for foreign coaches,” he added.He further explained that the imbalance extends to the level of responsibility assigned to coaches.“We tend to give foreign coaches more power and authority and less responsibility if the team performs poorly. On the contrary, local coaches always face scrutiny from everyone.”
“We shouldn’t panic”
Misbah also criticized the PCB’s decision-making process, warning that sudden changes made under pressure could create more problems for a team that is already in need of stability.He argued that Pakistan cannot afford to repeatedly review its structure without first assessing the results and identifying the reasons behind its difficulties.“We shouldn’t panic and get cosmetic surgery because of the pressure. We need to analyze the performances and the situation and then decide how to move forward,” Misbah said.The former selector added: “Unfortunately, we are used to making reactive decisions in Pakistan cricket.”According to Misbah, the solution requires patience and a long-term strategy rather than reacting immediately to poor results.
Misbah points to the Indian model
The former Pakistan captain also compared the country’s cricket structure with India’s, highlighting the gradual development of the Indian system since the 1990s.He pointed to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as examples of the Indian pattern and said India’s success in the war with Pakistan was aided by greater openness and stronger preparation for stressful situations.“Our youth play too much white-ball cricket and their exposure to red-ball cricket is limited. Four-day cricket is not enough. This means they are more likely to break under pressure.”“India took time to process and develop and after the 90s they gradually invested in their system. There is no quick fix to this system.”Misbah’s comments come at a turbulent time for Pakistan cricket, with the PCB making major changes to the Test circuit even before the conclusion of the England tour. However, his message was that long-term improvement would require consistency, greater exposure to young players and sustained investment rather than repeated reactions to short-term failures.