Kamran Akmal reckons PCB's messaging doesn't augur well for the remainder of the squad.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken the cricketing world by storm by announcing a mid-tour overhaul of its Test squad and coaching staff following a crushing 194-run defeat to England at Lord's, which left the visitors trailing 0-2 in the three-match series.
The board released seven players from the touring party, including Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad.
Seven new players were also called up ahead of the third Test at Edgbaston, including five uncapped talents. The list features Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Saad Baig, Mohammad Imran, and Razaullah.
The PCB also took the unprecedented step of overhauling its coaching staff. Red-ball head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were relieved of their duties.
White-ball head coach Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke have taken over the backroom responsibilities for the remainder of the England tour.
Reacting to the recent development, former wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal slammed the PCB, saying the board should have shown some respect towards the players and the messaging doesn't augur well for the rest of the squad.
He opined that that Rizwan and Agha could have been snubbed from the playing XI, but releasing them from the squad would send the wrong message.
“There was one more Test left. You could have had both Agha and Rizwan in the squad. You could have dropped them from the playing XI. You should have kept them in the squad. They are your senior players. They have been captains. Sending them back is not a good message for the remaining players,” Akmal said on the ‘Game Plan’ show.
“This will result in more pressure for the remainder of the team. It is not a good decision; if you are sending them back, then the chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, needs to rejig the entire system. Make a new team. This decision to send back players is not good for our country, and it doesn't send a good message to the rest of the world,” he added.
Agha led Pakistan in the series opener at Headingley as regular skipper Babar Azam was nursing an injury, but once the latter returned, the former was left out of the playing XI entirely at Lord's.
On the other hand, Rizwan struggled for runs in the two Tests, amassing 61 runs across four innings. He also drew flak for poor game awareness, attempting reckless shots against the run of play.
Speaking of Imam, the opener had a dismal opening Test and then sustained a Grade 1 tear in his left calf while fielding during England’s first innings at Lord’s. The left-hander sat out Pakistan's first innings—where the team collapsed for just 110 runs—and did not participate in the final run chase. This left the visitors competing with only 10 active batters. Days later, he was accused of being a repeated offender of faking injuries.