Pakistan Cricket Faces Major Overhaul as Mohsin Naqvi Takes Charge
The mood around Pakistan cricket has shifted from frustration to inevitability. The defeats have piled up, the chaos has become routine, and now Mohsin Naqvi, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, is preparing to act.
According to a PTI report, Naqvi is set to push through a series of radical changes in the coming days, with the national selection committee and some high-profile personnel at the heart of the shake-up.
At the top of that list sits former Test pacer Aaqib Javed, who is expected to be relieved of his duties as senior selector.
An internal source summed up the growing urgency inside the PCB: Naqvi has “realised that some radical measures are required to end the losing streak and abrupt happenings in Pakistan cricket. So these changes are now on the cards.”
Aaqib under fire after Lord’s turmoil
Aaqib has been central to several of the most contentious decisions of recent weeks. After Pakistan’s defeat in the Lord’s Test against England, he drove the controversial overhaul of the Test squad that stunned players and observers alike.
Seven players were sent home mid-tour. Two coaches followed them out: head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul. That episode did not just raise eyebrows; it deepened the perception of instability that has dogged Pakistan cricket for years.
Aaqib has already faced criticism for frequent changes to the coaching staff and captaincy. The Lord’s fallout appears to have tipped the balance against him.
Wahab Riaz next in line
Aaqib is not the only former fast bowler in the firing line. Wahab Riaz, currently serving as a mentor with the women’s team, is also expected to be released from his role.
His exit, according to the report, is likely to come after the women’s Asian Games campaign in Japan later this month. The timing suggests the PCB wants a clean slate once that tournament is done, rather than another mid-competition upheaval.
Coaching carousel and Hesson’s rising influence
The turbulence on the England tour did not happen in a vacuum. The report indicates the PCB’s decision to tinker with the coaching structure during that series was driven in part by white-ball coach Mike Hesson’s growing interest in taking on a bigger role.
Hesson, who has been working with Pakistan’s white-ball setup, has shown keen interest in becoming the all-format coach of the men’s team. That possibility has clearly altered the internal landscape.
Behind the scenes, PCB officials have also been in talks with several foreign coaches about taking over as head coach of the women’s side after the Asian Games. The women’s setup, like the men’s, looks destined for a major reset.
Naqvi’s next move
Naqvi is not moving alone. The source revealed that he will soon convene a high-level meeting with his close aides and then brief the governing board members before signing off on the final decisions.
This is not tinkering at the edges. It is a structural rethink, driven by a chairman who appears convinced that the status quo is no longer tenable.
Hesson’s conditions on the table
For all the interest around Hesson, he is not walking in blindly. The New Zealander has laid down clear terms for any move into the red-ball role.
He wants time—time to put his systems in place, time to reshape the environment. He also wants a defined tenure and firm assurances that his decision-making will not be undermined by interference from above.
In Pakistan, that last demand has broken many a relationship between coach and board.
If Naqvi agrees, he will not just be hiring a coach. He will be handing over real authority.
With senior selectors under scrutiny, mentors on the way out, and foreign coaches circling, Pakistan cricket stands on the brink of yet another reinvention. The question now is simple: will this overhaul finally bring stability, or just set the stage for the next storm?
