Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton have slammed Pakistan’s dramatic selection decisions ahead of the final Test against England at Edgbaston.
After suffering heavy defeats at Headingley and Lord’s to surrender the three-match series, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sent seven players home, including big names Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq.
However, the chosen replacements are set to offer very limited experience, with only Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal having previously appeared at Test level.
The controversial shake-up also saw red-ball head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and his assistant Umar Gul dismissed, leaving the white-ball side’s Mike Hesson in charge.
Hussain criticises PCB administrators
Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, Hussain said of the Pakistan situation: “It is classic ‘how you don’t build a team’ and fans deserve a little bit better.
“With the great teams, it’s all about the greater purpose, whether that’s Sir Viv Richards and Sir Clive Lloyd with West Indies bringing the islands together or the great Australia side playing for the baggy green cap under Steve Waugh.
“You create a side by making players feel wanted.
“However well they go at Edgbaston, the players and coaches will know that the first time they fail this may well happen to them.
“The point of an administration is to alleviate pressure, not put more pressure on – I cannot see how an administration cannot see that.
“This may be a stroke of genius but it hasn’t worked in the past, so why should it work now?”
Atherton questions captain’s authority
Atherton added: “This is no way to manage players and no way to build a long-term vision at all.
“I feel it’s a horrible position for a captain, Babar Azam, to be in.
“And what kind of authority does he or indeed any captain of Pakistan have in this outfit?
“One understands that captain is not all powerful these days – you’re not going back 30 years ago when they perhaps ran the show – but they have to have some authority within a team.
“Given what’s happened, how do you lead that team now?”
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