Sipu Jha
Shoaib Akhtar made headlines again this week after appearing to backtrack on his scathing remarks about Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi. The former pacer, who had called Naqvi “incompetent and illiterate” during an appearance on an Indian news channel, attempted a delicate retraction less than 24 hours later on Pakistani television. His effort, however, came across as fumbling and awkward.Speaking on ARY News, Akhtar insisted that his harsh words were aimed at the broader state of cricket administration in Pakistan, not Naqvi personally.
“The words ‘incompetent and jaahil (illiterate)’ that I used were not meant for Mohsin Naqvi bhai. It looked like I said those words for him. The incompetency topic I spoke about was from a broader perspective: that such a person can destroy any institution. My hint was not towards Mohsin Naqvi (said while fumbling repeatedly) but the top brass that is running international cricket. But the television channel twisted it. In the same programme, I also said that we should not say wrong things about Mohsin Naqvi, he is a good guy. He wants to help Pakistan cricket but does not get the right advice,” Akhtar explained.He added that his frustration with Naqvi was limited to the PCB chief’s sudden U-turn on the boycott stance against India in the T20 World Cup. “I am angry with him as he took a stand but did not stick with it. The entire community was with him. He could have asked me about taking the U-turn,” he said.
What Shoaib Akhtar originally said on Mohsin Naqvi
Akhtar’s initial criticism had been blunt. On ABP News, he questioned Naqvi’s suitability for the PCB chairman role. “If you make me the chairman of a channel, how would I know how to run it? Now there is a person who does not know, and he is the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. So what can be done now? How will the team function like this?” he asked. “Do you know what the biggest crime in the world is? Giving a big job to an incompetent and illiterate person.”The former pacer also weighed in on the criticism surrounding Pakistan’s star players Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi following the defeat to India. “Shaheen is not fit. He is not able to bowl over 125 kmph. Secondly, Babar Azam is not going to deliver until you play him as an opener. He is of no use in the middle order. This format is not made for him. Shadab is also an unusual choice, I do not understand it. I do not think we are compatible against India. They are playing a cricket that is 50 years ahead of us.”He concluded with a sweeping assessment of Pakistan cricket. “Everyone is to be blamed for this – myself, the cricket board, media, everyone. We picked the wrong people, made them stars. We did not invest in cricketing infrastructure.”
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