{"id":20641,"date":"2026-09-05T13:08:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T13:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=20641"},"modified":"2026-09-05T13:08:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T13:08:16","slug":"babar-azam-the-next-target-ex-pakistan-captain-launches-scathing-attack-on-pcb-over-england-test-chaos-cricket-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=20641","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Babar Azam the next target?\u2019: Ex-Pakistan captain launches scathing attack on PCB over England Test chaos | Cricket News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-133793888,imgsize-62430,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/babar-azam.jpg\" alt=\"\u2018Babar Azam the next target?\u2019: Ex-Pakistan captain launches scathing attack on PCB over England Test chaos\" title=\"Babar Azam\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is facing renewed criticism over its handling of the senior men&#8217;s national team, with former captain Rashid Latif accusing the board of effectively running the side through \u201cremote control\u201d and questioning why coaches and captains are not being given greater authority.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"2\"\/>The latest criticism comes after the PCB made an unprecedented mid-series overhaul, sending seven players and two coaches back to <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/topic\/pakistan\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pakistan<\/a> following defeats in the first two Tests against England.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"6\"\/>The sweeping changes have added to the uncertainty surrounding Pakistan&#8217;s Test set-up, with several former players and prominent voices in the game questioning the timing and scale of the PCB&#8217;s decision.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"8\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h3>Rashid Latif questions PCB&#8217;s handling of coaches<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>Pakistan had already been under considerable pressure after losing the opening two Tests against England. <!-- -->However, rather than retaining the same group for the remainder of the series, the PCB opted for a major reshuffle.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"14\"\/>Among those sent home were senior players Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha. Test coach <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/topic\/sarfaraz-ahmed\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sarfaraz Ahmed<\/a> was also removed from the set-up, with white-ball coach Mike Hesson taking charge for the third and final Test in Birmingham.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"18\"\/>Latif has now questioned why Sarfaraz and bowling coach Umar Gul were sent to the UK in the first place if the PCB intended to exercise such a high degree of control over the team.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"21\"\/>Taking to X, the former Pakistan captain also referred to the departures of Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten, both of whom previously stepped down after disagreements over the level of authority and freedom available to them.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"23\"\/>Latif also brought captain <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/cricket\/player-profile\/babar-azam\/59429\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Babar Azam<\/a> into the discussion, suggesting that if the captain was not following the team&#8217;s preferred direction, the PCB should have removed him rather than sending coaches back home.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"28\"\/>&#8220;If the team had to be run by remote control, then why were Sarfaraz and Umar Gul sent? Why were the selection powers taken away from Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie? And if captain Babar Azam wasn\u2019t listening, the captain should have been sacked \u2014 so why were Sarfaraz and Umar Gul sent back instead? Is Babar Azam the next target?\u201d Latif wrote on X.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h3>PCB faces backlash over seven-player overhaul<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>The PCB&#8217;s decision to make such sweeping changes in the middle of a Test series has attracted criticism from several high-profile figures in Pakistan cricket.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"34\"\/>Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain, Ramiz Raja, Basit Ali and <!-- -->Shahid Afridi<!-- --> have all questioned the move, with the critics arguing that such drastic changes could create even more instability within an already struggling Pakistan side.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"38\"\/>The PCB, however, has defended its decision.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"40\"\/>Chairman Mohsin Naqvi previously backed the overhaul, insisting that the board had taken the harsh step because it believed it was necessary for the betterment of the team.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"43\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h3>Pakistan&#8217;s Test struggles continue<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>The dramatic changes come against the backdrop of Pakistan&#8217;s prolonged struggles in the longest format.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"46\"\/>Pakistan are currently at the bottom of the World Test Championship (WTC) standings and have never been genuine contenders for a place in the WTC final during the current cycle.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"48\"\/>The latest campaign will also mark the fourth consecutive WTC cycle in which Pakistan finish in the bottom half of the standings, highlighting the extent of their problems in Test cricket.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"51\"\/>The defeat in England has only intensified the scrutiny surrounding the team&#8217;s direction and the PCB&#8217;s decision-making process.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"53\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h3>Another captaincy change under scrutiny<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>Pakistan&#8217;s Test leadership has also undergone another change this year.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"56\"\/>Earlier in 2026, the PCB replaced Shan Masood with Babar Azam as Test captain after Bangladesh completed a 2-0 series victory over Pakistan.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"59\"\/>Babar&#8217;s return to the leadership role initially brought some stability, with Pakistan drawing their two-Test series against the West Indies.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"62\"\/>However, the team&#8217;s fortunes quickly deteriorated once the side arrived in England. After losing the opening two Tests, the PCB responded with a drastic squad overhaul, sending seven players and two members of the coaching staff home.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"64\"\/>That decision has now prompted fresh questions over who is actually making the key decisions within Pakistan cricket, with Latif&#8217;s comments adding another layer to the growing controversy surrounding the board&#8217;s handling of the national team.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/cricket\/news\/babar-azam-the-next-target-ex-pakistan-captain-launches-scathing-attack-on-pcb-over-england-test-chaos\/articleshow\/133792583.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is facing renewed criticism over its handling of the senior men&#8217;s national team, with former captain Rashid Latif accusing the board of effectively running the side through \u201cremote control\u201d and questioning why coaches and captains are not being given greater authority.The latest criticism comes after the PCB made an unprecedented [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20642,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20641","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788613698_babar-azam.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788613698_babar-azam.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788613698_babar-azam.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788613698_babar-azam.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788613698_babar-azam.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788613698_babar-azam.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788613698_babar-azam.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788613698_babar-azam.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788613698_babar-azam.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788613698_babar-azam.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788613698_babar-azam.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788613698_babar-azam.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788613698_babar-azam.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788613698_babar-azam.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is facing renewed criticism over its handling of the senior men&#8217;s national team, with former captain Rashid Latif accusing the board of effectively running the side through \u201cremote control\u201d and questioning why coaches and captains are not being given greater authority.The latest criticism comes after the PCB made an unprecedented [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 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