Former chief selector Salahuddin Sallu has commended Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi for his efforts to rejuvenate Pakistan cricket while maintaining that Azhar Mahmood should be removed as assistant coach from all formats.
Speaking to local media recently, Sallu highlighted the significance of Naqvi’s initiatives in improving the trajectory of Pakistan cricket in recent years.
“I admire the efforts being made by PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi to bring our cricket up to international standards. Those who have witnessed Pakistan’s dominance in world cricket or have been involved with Pakistan Cricket are eager to see a revival of that era,” Sallu stated.
The former cricketer highlighted the necessity of Naqvi’s actions following Pakistan’s underwhelming performance in the recent T20 World Cup held in the USA and West Indies. He praised several of Naqvi’s key steps, such as overhauling the selection committee, reducing player influence, enhancing infrastructure, and mandating domestic cricket participation for all players.
“Revamping the selection committee, dismantling player power, uplifting the infrastructure, and making domestic cricket appearances mandatory for all players are all excellent steps taken by Mr. Naqvi recently. They will, Inshallah, bear fruit very soon,” he added.
However, Sallu advised Naqvi to replace the national team’s assistant coach Azhar Mahmood with a more competent individual. He criticized Mahmood’s performance, citing his inability to deliver whenever given the opportunity to serve Pakistan Cricket.
“Azhar, in my opinion, does not deserve to be the team’s coach as he is not competent for the job and has failed to deliver whenever allowed to serve Pakistan Cricket,” he said.
He pointed out that the sacking of Azhar by PSL franchise Islamabad United during the PSL 8 season was a testament to the fact that he failed to motivate the players or help them overcome their shortcomings.
Pakistan will face off Bangladesh next month in a two-match Test series at home. The first Test will be played in Rawalpindi on August 21 while the second Test will take place in National Bank Arena, Karachi on August 30.
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