Naqvi advises think tank to focus on youngsters after England Tests debacle

LONDON: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday expressed disappointment over the underwhelming performances of the experienced national cricketers during the ongoing away Test series against England and advised the think tank to foster youngsters going forward.

The Green Shirts, who entered the England series with a 1-1 draw away against West Indies, were blown away by the hosts in the opening fixture as they succumbed to an innings and 103-run defeat in Babar's absence.

In the subsequent fixture at Lord's, where they had not lost a single Test since 2010 and were on a two-match winning streak, Pakistan succumbed to an equally humbling defeat as the hosts prevailed by a massive 194 runs to clinch an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

The back-to-back crushing defeats drew severe criticism from cricket pundits, and the PCB eventually enforced an overhaul, releasing seven players, alongside head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul ahead of the third Test in Birmingham, slated to get underway next Wednesday.

Meanwhile, according to the sources, PCB Chairman Naqvi was deliberating on taking further stringent decisions in the coming days, having been extremely disappointed with the performances of the senior and experienced players in the national team.

Consequently, Naqvi was keen on promoting the youngsters who can take the reins of the Pakistan men's cricket team in the future and thus has directed the adoption of a policy aimed at providing U19 and junior cricketers with maximum opportunities and full confidence in the future.

Furthermore, the PCB chairman has issued clear instructions to the selection committee to ensure transparency in selection matters and not give tested and experienced players another opportunity after they have failed.