• Former skipper believes hard decisions should not breed insecurity• PCB chief says criticism ‘personal’ rather than driven by genuine concern
KARACHI: Former captain Azhar Ali has blamed a lack of vision, instability and concerns over job security among decision-makers for the repeated upheavals in Pakistan cricket, emphasising the game’s establishment in the country must first identify its problems before embarking on a long-term reform process.
Azhar’s comments came in the wake of Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to sack red-ball head coach Sarfraz Ahmed — who had taken up the job only months earlier and overseen five defeats in six Tests — and hand charge of the side to white-ball coach Mike Hesson for the third Test in England, send seven players home and replace bowling coach Umar Gul with Australian Ashley Noffke.
Selection committee member Misbah-ul-Haq subsequently resigned after reportedly not being consulted over the changes, while several former players and coaches criticised the timing of the shake-up with the series still in progress.
“The real problem is the lack of vision among the people working at the PCB. It also raises questions about the competence of the people making these decisions,” Azhar said when contacted by Dawn on Wednesday.
