Pakistan Chief Selector Breaks Silence On Sacking 7 Players, Blames Babar Azam

Pakistan cricket has been plunged deeper into turmoil after selection committee chief Aaqib Javed publicly explained the sweeping changes made ahead of the third Test against England. The former Pakistan pacer also pointed to decisions made by captain Babar Azam and head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed as a reason for the intervention.

Pakistan lost the first two Tests of the series and were unable to compete consistently, prompting the PCB to make major changes before the final match. Seven players were sent to England, while white-ball coach Mike Hesson was handed charge of the Test side.

Speaking to Geo TV, Aaqib said the management had failed to make important calls despite having alternatives available within the squad. He said Pakistan had a pace-bowling all-rounder, a second wicketkeeper and fast bowler Ubaid Shah available, but those options were not being used.

Aaqib claimed he spoke directly to Babar and Sarfaraz about bringing Ubaid into the playing XI. “I spoke to the captain [Babar Azam] and coach and asked them to put Ubaid in because the other bowlers [Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali and Khurram Shahzad] are all similarly paced,” Aaqib said.

🚨 AQIB JAVED SENDS STRONG MESSAGE🚨(Geo News)He said - “When the coach and captain aren't able to make decisions, someone has to take action.The world is laughing at us because we can't even compete.This message will go to the team through these changes: fix your playing… He argued that Pakistan needed greater variety in its bowling attack, particularly with no batter in the top seven capable of bowling.

“No batter in our top seven bowls. We should have included an allrounder, but most importantly, get in Ubaid Shah, who bowls close to 140kph. One fast bowler changes the composition of your attack,” he said. Aaqib also questioned the decision to leave Ghazi Ghori out in favour of Mohammad Rizwan as wicketkeeper.

He said Salman Ali Agha's poor form could justify dropping him, but believed the team should have made other changes as well. “I understand dropping [Salman] Agha, who's out of form, but you should have played Ghazi Ghori instead of [Mohammad] Rizwan [as the wicketkeeper],” he said.

The selector then delivered a blunt assessment of Pakistan's performance in England. “When management fails to make tough calls, action has to be taken. We have already lost the series, and the world is laughing at us because we aren't even competing,” Aaqib said.

His comments also highlighted the extent of PCB involvement in team selection. Pakistan cricket has frequently faced criticism over board interference, and Aaqib acknowledged that officials can intervene when the team's playing combination does not match their plans.

“When decisions aren't aligned with planning, messages are sent to fix the playing XI and balance the combination,” he said. Pakistan's decision to send seven new players to England came after the series had already slipped away.

Aaqib defended the move, arguing that the final Test provided an opportunity to assess younger players.