By Alam Zeb Safi
LAHORE: Former first-class cricketer Dr Siddiq Patni has urged Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi to “flush out” opportunists from his inner circle, blaming poor advice and self-interest for what he described as the steady decline of cricket administration in the country.
In a candid interview with thecricketplus.com on Tuesday, Patni said former Test cricketers working around the PCB chief were harming the game by offering flawed guidance.
“Former Test cricketers working around the PCB chairman have been damaging cricket. They are not giving good advice to the PCB chief and such hypocritical people should be flushed out from his circle. Unless he takes this step, cricket will not improve,” Patni said.
Patni, who represented United Bank Limited (UBL) and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) during his domestic career, described Naqvi as a capable administrator but questioned the technical counsel he receives.
“Naqvi is a good administrator and he is doing well in his capacity, but on technical sides the people working with him or advising him cannot be trusted. They should be replaced by an honest team so that top-quality work can begin on the cricket front,” he said.
Patni alleged that several “big names” were more interested in financial gain than in long-term development.
“These so-called big names have been a nuisance for cricket. They are just making money and nothing else. They don’t bother about cricket development. It is time for the PCB chief to take drastic steps,” he added.
Patni also criticised Pakistan’s team management and captaincy during their decisive Super Eights fixture against Sri Lanka in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup being hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
“It’s ridiculous that you score 212 for eight after a 176-run opening stand. The collapse blew Pakistan’s chances in the World Cup,” Patni said, referring to the must-win match in which Pakistan needed a comprehensive victory to qualify for the semi-finals.
He singled out skipper Agha Salman, questioning his leadership credentials.
“If a person has not captained even a domestic team, how can he lead a national side? Agha Salman does not know how to lead a side. A skipper should be shrewd enough and take timely decisions. If someone cannot do this, he does not deserve to lead,” Patni said.
Pakistan required a 65-run victory to advance but fell short as they could beat Sri Lanka by just five runs and that too when umpire did not signal wide when it appeared that Shaheen Afridi’s last ball was wide enough.
“Had I been captain, we could have scored 250 to 260. It would then have been very difficult for Sri Lanka. We missed a big opportunity to progress due to such weak captaincy,” he said.
Patni said Pakistan’s overall campaign lacked direction.
“Never at any stage could I see a clear strategy. Things were handled in a nonsensical manner. You cannot win a World Cup if you don’t have clarity of mind about what you want to do,” he said.
He argued that quality selection and strong leadership were essential for success.
“If you do quality selection and have a quality captain, then you can achieve success. But even a better team cannot click if you have a skipper whose body language and personality are not of a leader,” he said.
Patni also criticised former pacer Aaqib Javed, questioning his influence in cricket affairs.
“Aqib’s role is dubious and he should be kept away from the selection process,” Patni said, without elaborating further.
Patni played 41 first-class matches, scoring 1,845 runs at an average of 27.53, including one century and 13 half-centuries. He also represented Pakistan Automobiles Corporation and Pakistan National Shipping Corporation in domestic competitions.
His remarks come amid growing scrutiny of Pakistan’s cricket structure following another early World Cup exit, intensifying pressure on the PCB leadership to review both administrative and on-field strategies.
