According to sources, the recent benching of A-listers Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi was part of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) to dismantle player groupings and foster unity within the team.
PCB has reportedly identified Aqib Javed as the frontman to restore the Pakistan cricket team’s standing atop the cricketing world after the infamous pledge of a needed “surgery” by Chairman Mohsin Naqvi a few months back.
Following Aqib’s recommendations, the selection committee has also been trimmed from 11 members to 6, aiming to diminish the influence of player power like Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi, and the practice of having selectors without voting rights has been reconsidered and deemed unnecessary.
Aqib Javed has now been tasked with overseeing a significant internal overhaul and has been given decisive power aimed at eliminating factionalism within the team. While no official appointment has been announced, Javed has been granted full authority by Naqvi to revitalize the team and eradicate group dynamics that have plagued recent performances.
The 52-year-old’s impact has been immediate as Pakistan registered its first home win in over three years against England in Multan.
In another strategic move to foster team unity, the previously strict fitness standards have been temporarily relaxed.
Prior to the first Test, Nauman Ali and Zahid Mahmood both failed to complete a 2-kilometer run in 8 minutes, leading to their dismissal from the squad. Despite being given a second chance after the defeat, neither player met the requirement again.
Recognizing the current needs of the team, Aqib Javed convinced the management to exercise temporary leniency in the fitness policy allowing Noman a path into the playing XI. The left-arm spinner then set record books ablaze, helping his side to a win.