LAHORE: National selector Aaqib Javed has said that everyone involved — including the captain, head coach and selectors — must accept responsibility for Pakistan national cricket team’s disappointing performance in the recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Aaqib explained that the selection committee chose the 15-member squad for the tournament, but the final playing XI for each match was the responsibility of the captain and head coach.
“I selected the 15 players as part of the committee, but deciding the playing XI was up to the captain and the head coach, so everyone should take responsibility for the results,” he said.
The press briefing marked the first appearance of a Pakistan Cricket Board official following Pakistan’s latest disappointing campaign in an ICC event. Aaqib, who also serves as director of the National Cricket Academy, was joined by selectors Misbah-ul-Haq, Sarfraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq. Former captains Misbah and Sarfraz were recently added to the selection panel.
Pakistan’s campaign
Led by Salman Ali Agha, Pakistan failed to progress beyond the Super Eight stage of the 20-team tournament, held in India and Sri Lanka earlier this year.
The team secured group-stage victories over Netherlands national cricket team, United States national cricket team and Namibia national cricket team but suffered a heavy 61-run defeat against arch-rivals India national cricket team.
In the Super Eight stage, Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals faded after a narrow two-wicket loss to England national cricket team. Although they later defeated Sri Lanka national cricket team by five runs, it was not enough to keep them in the race.
Babar’s selection and fitness
Responding to questions about the inclusion of former captain Babar Azam, Aaqib said the decision was made collectively by a six-member panel comprising selectors, the captain and the head coach Mike Hesson.
He explained that Babar had previously been dropped during the Asia Cup but was recalled because the team needed a technically sound batter for Sri Lankan conditions.
However, Babar struggled during the tournament, scoring 15, 46, 5 and 25, drawing criticism over his strike rate.
Aaqib also revealed that Babar, along with opener Fakhar Zaman and pacer Salman Mirza, was not fully fit and therefore was not selected for the ongoing ODI series against Bangladesh national cricket team. He added that an inquiry was underway to determine when Fakhar suffered his injury.
The selector stressed that team management should keep the selection committee informed about any injuries to players.
Issues in domestic structure
Aaqib said criticism often focuses on removing selectors, captains or even the PCB chairman after defeats, but the deeper problems lie within Pakistan’s cricket system.
He urged comparisons with other cricketing nations to understand the lack of consistency in Pakistan’s domestic structure.
Under the leadership of PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, several changes have been made in domestic cricket, selection committees and coaching staff over the past two years. During this period, the selection committee was reshuffled multiple times, with figures such as Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq, Aleem Dar and Azhar Ali serving as selectors.
The coaching setup has also seen frequent changes, involving figures including Jason Gillespie, Gary Kirsten, Azhar Mahmood and Saeed Ajmal.
Despite these changes, Pakistan has struggled to achieve major success in ICC or ACC tournaments in recent years.
Salman needs time as captain
Speaking at the press conference, Misbah said captain Salman Ali Agha should be given time to develop as a leader.
He suggested the skipper should be allowed at least two to three years before his performance as captain is fully evaluated.
Meanwhile, Sarfraz defended the selection of young players Shamyl Hussain and Ghazi Ghori for the Bangladesh series, noting that some players take time to adapt to international cricket despite strong domestic performances.