Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has defended the major changes made to Pakistan’s Test setup following a disappointing England tour. Naqvi acknowledged that the team’s recent performances were unacceptable but rejected claims that Pakistan cricket is in complete decline. Pakistan suffered heavy defeats in the first two Tests against England, losing the opening match by an innings and 103 runs before going down by 194 runs at Lord’s.

The results prompted the PCB to make significant changes ahead of the third and final Test at Edgbaston. Seven players were released from the Test squad, while Sarfaraz Ahmed was replaced as head coach by white-ball coach Mike Hesson. Ashley Noffke also took over as bowling coach from Umar Gul. The changes sparked debate over Pakistan’s selection strategy, injury management and the PCB’s decision-making process.

Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamer Jamal, Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad were among those released. Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq subsequently resigned from the national selection committee, reportedly after concerns over the lack of consultation regarding the squad changes.

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Imam’s calf injury also became a talking point after the opener suffered a low-grade strain while fielding at Lord’s and failed to bat in either innings. Selection committee member Aaqib Javed called for an inquiry into how the injury was handled. The England tour also witnessed controversy surrounding the broadcast of an interview involving the sons of former Pakistan captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan during the Lord’s Test.

Amid the criticism, Naqvi defended Pakistan’s overall progress in white-ball cricket and pointed to improvements in the ODI and T20I rankings. He argued that isolated defeats should not be used to declare the entire Pakistan cricket system a failure.

Naqvi highlighted that Pakistan had climbed from eighth to fifth in the ODI rankings since the arrival of the new coaching staff and had won four of their last six ODI series. In T20Is, Pakistan reportedly moved from ninth to sixth, while their success rate increased from 24% to 73%. “Every single match matters to us. There were many factors behind these two defeats,” Mohsin Naqvi said, while accepting responsibility for the team’s poor Test performance.

He also defended the PCB’s decision to make difficult selection calls when players or combinations fail to deliver consistently. Naqvi urged critics to distinguish between legitimate criticism and what he described as baseless attacks on players. He stressed that the PCB remained accountable for selection and results but asked supporters not to demotivate the team.

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“If anyone has a problem with me, criticize me personally, but don’t target the players,” Mohsin Naqvi said. The PCB chief acknowledged that Pakistan still have significant room for improvement and insisted that rebuilding a cricket team takes time. With major assignments ahead, the board will now be under pressure to ensure that the changes made during the England tour produce tangible results.