'PCB wants obedient, lallu-kattu kids': Akhtar slams Pakistan cricket

NEW DELHI: Legendary accelerated bowler Shoaib Akhtar did not clasp backmost successful a scathing post-mortem of Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2025 last nonaccomplishment to India, hitting retired astatine the squad management, skipper Salman Ali Agha, manager Mike Hesson, and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Akhtar highlighted what helium sees arsenic systemic flaws successful Pakistan cricket that person near the squad lacking aggression and character.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“Humey ab shareef bacche chahiyen, jo aaath baje curfew legake ghar pey bait jaayen. Cricket committee ko successful jaisey bechare, lallu-kattu chahiye. They don’t privation beardown personalities. This is the reflection of the PCB policies,” Akhtar said connected ARY News , utilizing his trademark blunt style.The erstwhile speedster criticised skipper Salman Agha for failing to inspire, saying, “Where volition the cognition travel erstwhile the skipper is not inspiring? The skipper is simply a reflection of the board’s choices.” He besides blamed manager Mike Hesson for sticking to “half-baked allrounders” alternatively of backing match-winners similar Hasan Nawaz.

“Senseless and headless-chicken management. The squad combinations weren’t right, the captaincy wasn’t spot-on, and they weren’t consenting to perceive to us,” helium added.

Akhtar utilized humour to underline his constituent astir Pakistan’s vanishing fast-bowling heritage. He lamented the displacement from assertive endowment to “obedient kids” who are easier to manage, claiming the PCB has discouraged beardown personalities.

He besides discussed wherefore helium has avoided cricket medication aft retirement: “From the archetypal time aft my retirement, I had decided I volition ne'er articulation PCB arsenic whoever has gone determination has ne'er travel retired with respect.

I enactment successful TV, instrumentality money, and sit. These guys don’t privation beardown personalities.”Akhtar’s investigation of Pakistan’s Asia Cup last highlighted mediocre strategical decisions, including dropping Hasan Nawaz, questionable bowling changes, and a fragile mediate order. He criticised giving Haris Rauf the last over, which leaked 17 runs, calling it a “big mistake.”He besides projected reforms to the PCB, advocating grassroots development, determination teams, and a PSL 2.0 to nurture young endowment — contrasting Pakistan’s strategy with India’s well-structured home pathway.“Now determination is Mohsin Naqvi, adjacent clip koi aur saab aa jayenge. Unless you bring successful a visionary educated man… past volition retrieve if you commencement this,” Akhtar said.For Shoaib Akhtar, the Asia Cup 2025 last was much than a nonaccomplishment connected the scoreboard — it symbolised the failures of a strategy that, successful his view, values obedient players implicit existent cricketing talent.