Pakistan Cricket Faces Major Changes as PCB Chairman Targets Aaqib Javed

Pakistan cricket is bracing for another shake-up, with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi poised to swing the axe on key decision-makers after a bruising run of results and chaotic selections.

According to a PTI report, Naqvi is preparing “radical changes” in the coming days, targeting the national selection committee and, crucially, senior selector Aaqib Javed, whose tenure has become a lightning rod for criticism inside Pakistan cricket circles.

An internal source summed up the mood bluntly: Naqvi now believes only strong, sweeping measures can halt the losing streak and the constant turmoil around the team. The message from the top is clear — the status quo has failed.

Aaqib Javed in the firing line

Aaqib’s position has been under intense scrutiny since Pakistan’s defeat in the Lord’s Test against England earlier this month. In the immediate aftermath of that loss, he drove a series of controversial changes to the Test squad that stunned players and observers alike.

Seven players were sent home. So were two members of the coaching staff — head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul. The decision split opinion and deepened the sense of instability around the side.

This was not an isolated flashpoint. Aaqib has already faced heavy criticism for repeatedly tinkering with both the coaching structure and the captaincy, leaving little continuity in a setup that desperately needs it. Now, with pressure mounting on Naqvi to restore order and accountability, Aaqib is expected to be formally released from his role as senior selector.

Wahab Riaz next as PCB eyes reset

Aaqib is not the only former Pakistan bowler set to be moved on.

Wahab Riaz, currently working as a mentor with the women’s team, is also likely to be relieved of his duties once the Asian Games campaign in Japan concludes later this month. His expected exit underlines how wide-ranging this reset could be, cutting across both the men’s and women’s structures.

The PCB, according to the report, has already started exploring alternatives, holding talks with several foreign candidates to take over as head coach of the women’s team after the Games. The women’s setup, like the men’s, is being drawn into a broader restructuring drive under Naqvi’s watch.

Hesson’s interest changes the equation

The timing of these moves is not accidental.

The report suggests the PCB’s decision to make coaching changes during the England tour was heavily influenced by white-ball coach Mike Hesson signalling strong interest in an all-format role with the men’s team.

That interest has given Naqvi and his advisers a potential focal point for a new coaching model — but Hesson is not walking in blindly. The New Zealander has already laid down clear conditions for taking on the red-ball coaching job. He wants time to implement his plans properly, a defined tenure, and firm guarantees that his decisions will not be undermined by interference from above.

Those demands go to the heart of Pakistan cricket’s long-standing problem: constant chopping and changing, and a blurred line between selectors, coaches, and administrators.

Naqvi’s next move

Before any of these changes become official, Naqvi is expected to convene a high-level meeting with his closest aides and then bring the PCB governing board into the loop. Only after that internal alignment will final decisions be signed off.

The stakes are obvious. Pakistan cricket stands at another crossroads, with a chairman who now seems convinced that only bold, sometimes brutal calls can break the cycle of drift and disappointment.

If Naqvi backs his conviction with action — and gives his next coach the autonomy Hesson is demanding — this could be the moment the system finally stops lurching from crisis to crisis and starts building something lasting. If not, it will be just another chapter in a familiar story.