Following Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2026 loss to India, Shoaib Akhtar criticized PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi but made a 24-hour U-turn, clarifying his anger was over Naqvi’s boycott U-turn, not his competence, and that his remarks were misinterpreted.
Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has backtracked from his criticism of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
Following the Men in Green’s humiliating 61-run defeat to Team India in a one-sided T20 World Cup 2026 contest at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, Akhtar blamed the leadership at PCB, especially Mohsin Naqvi, for the team’s failure and questioned his appointment as the chairman of the board.
Speaking ABP, former Pakistan pacer indirectly criticised Naqvi, calling him ‘incompetent’ and ‘ignorant’, adding that assigning such a crucial role at PCB to someone lacking the necessary skills and experience could harm the team and Pakistan cricket as a whole. Shoaib Akhtar also took a brutal dig at Babar Azam, calling him a superstarcwho does not perform in high-pressure encounters.
Related Articles
Shoaib Akhtar’s criticism of PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi quickly gained the attention of the cricketing world, as Pakistan’s defeat to Team India in the T20 World Cup 2026 added fuel to the debate over the team’s leadership and preparation for the marquee event, with Akhtar’s remarks sparking discussions on accountability and the need for stronger administration within Pakistan cricket.
‘My hint Was Not Towards Mohsin Naqvi’
Within 24 hours, Shoaib Akhtar took a quick ‘U-turn’ on his criticism of PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi for the team’s poor performance against Team India. Speaking on a Pakistani news channel, ARY News, Akhtar clarified that he did not intend his earlier remarks toward Naqvi, but rather broader issues at the administrative level, rather than directly blaming the PCB chairman.
Former Pakistan pacer accused the news channel of twisting his words, and remarks ‘incompetent’ and ‘ignorant’ were taken out of context and were not meant as an attack on Mohsin Naqvi himself.
“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,” Akhtar said.
“My hint was not towards Mohsin Naqvi , 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," he added.
Mohsin Naqvi has been in the news for all the wrong reasons since last year, especially for his controversial posts intending to mock the Indian Armed Forces and his refusal to hand over the Asia Cup trophy to Team India in Dubai.
He was instrumental in the threat to boycott the Team India clash before it was reversed following the intervention by the ICC, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), and the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB).
Shoaib Akhtar Explains Why He was Angry at Mohsin Naqvi
Further clarifying his remarks on Mohsin Naqvi, Shoaib Akhtar admitted that he was angry at the Pakistan Cricket Board chief sticking to the boycott call for the Team India clash, adding that the entire country’s cricket community was with him.
“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," Akhtar further said.
Under the leadership of PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan has not won a single major trophy, including the the T20 World Cup 2024 and the Champions Trophy 2025, where Pakistan crashed out early from the tournaments, and the controversial Asia Cup 2025 final, where India retained the title and refused to accept the trophy from him, leaving Pakistan without a single silverware under his watch.
Meanwhile, Pakistan will have to win their last group match against Namibia with a better net run rate (NRR) than the Netherlands and USA to qualify for the Super 8.
