‘If you hand over cricket to bureaucrat…’: PCB slammed by Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Afridi; fume at ‘political influence’

The Pakistan Cricket Board is no victim to criticism from former national team players and experts. Recently, ex-Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez broke his silence on political interference in the PCB and made some bombshell revelations.

Hafeez conducted a Q&A session on X, and spoke on multiple issues affecting cricket in his country. A fan asked him about political influence in cricketing decisions within the PCB, to which he responded, “The PCB chairman’s appointment is always based on political background… I don’t know about the rest.”

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Hafeez, who is a former team director himself, also cleared the air on his absence from coaching roles within the association. He said, “I am minus one at the moment, and I am loving it.”

It wasn’t surprising to see that he was also asked about under-fire veterans Babar Aam and Mohammad Rizwan’s inclusion in the national team. Backing the pair, he said, “Babar and Rizwan are quality players who have played vital roles in winning matches for Pakistan. They just need to upgrade their approach and skills to become more impactful. They have the talent to do that.”

Recently a journalist also accused the PCB of financial irregularities. Speaking on Samaa TV, Shahid Hashmi opened a can of worms, as he revealed how the Rawalpindi Stadium curator had to sell his own personal motorbike for ground maintenance. He also claimed that the Karachi curator had to take contributions for National Stadium maintenance.

Shahid Afridi echoes similar sentiments

The PCB has also been criticised by legendary cricketer Shahid Afridi.

Speaking to reporters, the former player said, “If I had influence, I’d be the PCB chairman today. During our time, the national team had many match-winners — now, there aren’t as many.”

Speaking on the grassroots level in Pakistan, he said, “In Under-16, 17, and 19 teams, players need to be taught. We need capable people at the lower levels to train these players properly.”

Afridi also had a similar observation to Hafeez, and said, “If you hand over domestic cricket to a bureaucrat, no one will understand it. Every PCB chairman comes in on political grounds. Changing faces won’t change the system.”