Tag: PCB

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has demanded a public apology after a media report accused national fast bowler Salman Mirza of misconduct during T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka.

In a strong statement, PCB rejected the report and described it as agenda driven fake news that targeted the character of its players.

“Agenda driven fake news targeting the character of our players is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” said the PCB in a statement.

The board warned that such claims were unacceptable and said it would take legal action if the journalist involved failed to issue a public apology.

“The reporter must publicly apologize without delay; failing which, the PCB will take all necessary steps to ensure such malicious conduct is dealt with firmly and nipped in the bud,” the PCB said.

The controversy began when a local sports journalist claimed that Mirza had behaved inappropriately with a hotel staff member during a recent tour. The report alleged that the staff member filed a complaint with the Pakistan team management, adding that the management reviewed the matter before imposing a heavy fine on the pacer.

The Board quickly rejected the allegations and dismissed the claims as baseless.

Soon after the report circulated, Mirza also responded through his Instagram account. He strongly criticised the story and called it false and irresponsible journalism.

“A absurd News is circulating on media and I strongly condemn this sort of Cheap Journalism. Any Media House can’t air any unverified news. #PakistanCricketBoard has already denied this Baseless & Fake News and i’m going to take Legal Action against #ShahidHashmi (Journalist) who works for ARY NEWS. This sort of Flithy reporting must be banned and #Governmentof Pakistan must take action against such people!” Mirza wrote.

The fast bowler added that he plans to pursue legal action against journalist Shahid Hashmi over the report.

The story first surfaced in Indian media and was later picked up by a prominent Pakistani mainstream channel. However, after PCB issued its statement, the report was removed from the outlet’s website and social media platforms. 

The media organisation has not yet responded to PCB’s demand for a public apology.

Pakistan Super League (PSL) management and franchise owners will hold an important meeting today at the National Cricket Academy.

According to reports, the franchise owners had requested the PSL management to call this meeting, and the board accepted their request. The meeting will address concerns related to PSL 2026 and 2027, while PCB officials will also present their stance.

All six franchises, including Multan Sultans, have been invited to attend. Franchise owners have asked for a detailed briefing on commercial matters, the event window, and the EY evaluation report.

Reports added that the owners have also demanded clarity on the two-year title sponsorship agreement and its process.

The PCB has decided to add two new teams to Pakistan Super League. With the league completing ten years, the board plans to sign a new agreement with existing franchises later this month.

PSL Chief Executive Officer Salman Naseer said the league will expand its matches beyond Lahore, Karachi, Multan, and Rawalpindi to include Faisalabad and Peshawar.

He added that the PCB will issue tenders for the new team in November.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that no change has been made in the national selection committee except for the replacement of the data analyst.

In an official statement, the PCB said that the selection committee remains the same. The Board has only changed the data analyst, who does not have any voting rights during team selection.

Previous data analyst Hassan Cheema has been replaced by Usman Hashmi, who will now help the selection committee by providing data and analysis but will not take part in the final decision-making.

The current members of the selection committee are Aqib Javed, Aleem Dar, Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali.

The PCB spokesman said the selection committee must consult with the head coach and the captain about the relevant format before finalizing the squad.

The statement comes at a time when there has been a lot of talk about possible changes in Pakistan cricket. The PCB has now made it clear that much of the speculation was incorrect.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has invited top white-ball performers to a special training camp.

According to reports, 22 players have been called up, including standout performers from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and domestic competitions.

The list of players includes Babar Azam, Usman Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shahid Aziz, Abbas Afridi, Salman Mirza, Mir Hamza, Abdullah Shafiq, Khawaja Nafees, Haider Ali, Ahmed Daniyal, Mehran Mumtaz, Shaheen Afridi, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Rizwan, Moiz Siddiqui, Mohammad Nawaz, Aamer Jamal, Naseem Shah, Safyaan Maqsood, Ali Raza, and Tayyab Tahir.

The PCB has scheduled the camp in Lahore from June 3 to June 5. All players will participate in short camps divided into three different groups.

Sources revealed that players’ fitness and performance will be assessed during these sessions.

Additionally, the PCB will inform the players about future plans and strategies. Senior players are expected to join the various training sessions across all three groups.

Head coach Mike Hesson, along with other coaches, will meet the top performers to discuss long-term plans and provide guidance.

The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, has confirmed Mike Hesson as the new white-ball head coach, while Aqib Javed will lead the High Performance setup.

The dual appointments are in line with the PCB’s commitment to revamping its cricket infrastructure and building a more consistent, high-performing national setup ahead of key tournaments.

Taking to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Mohsin Naqvi wrote: “I’m pleased to announce that former New Zealand cricketer and seasoned coach Mike Hesson will be joining the Pakistan Cricket Team as White Ball Head Coach starting May 26.”

In a follow-up post, he added: “To strengthen our cricket infrastructure, Aqib Javed joins us as Director of High Performance, complementing Mike Hesson’s appointment as White-ball Head Coach. Together, they will play a pivotal role in the evolution and success of Pakistan Cricket.”

Naqvi said Hesson was selected after reviewing numerous applications, and that his international experience makes him the ideal candidate to lead Pakistan’s limited-overs sides.

A former head coach of New Zealand, Hesson is widely respected for his tactical insight and calm leadership. He has also served as Director of Cricket for the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore. Most recently, he guided Islamabad United to the title in PSL Season 9, making an immediate impact in his first year in the league.

His appointment comes at a transitional time for Pakistan cricket. After Gary Kirsten’s resignation, former fast bowler Aqib Javed served as interim coach until February 2025. However, Javed showed no interest in extending his coaching contract, paving the way for his new role, where he will focus on player development and the domestic structure.

Meanwhile, former head coach Saqlain Mushtaq, who was also in contention for the top job, is now expected to return to the national side as bowling coach.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed former Test cricketer Muhammad Wasim as the head coach of the national women’s cricket team.

According to PCB, the coaching staff of the women’s team has also been changed.

Former Test cricketer Abdul Rehman will be the spin bowling coach and Junaid Khan will be the assistant coach, while Hanif Malik will be the fielding coach and Hina Munawar will be the women’s team manager.

Muhammad Wasim has previously served as the Chairman of the National Selection Committee from 2020 to 2022.

A women’s team camp has been set up in Karachi to prepare for the Asia Cup. Up to 28 players will participate in the four-day camp, while teo practice matches will also be played.

The Women’s Asia Cup will be held from July 19 to 28 in Dambulla, Sri Lanka where Pakistan will play their first match against India on July 19.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to review the contracts of domestic cricketers, while participation in domestic cricket has been made mandatory for joining the national team.

Under Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi, a three-hour long important meeting regarding quality domestic cricket was held at the National Cricket Academy Lahore, where it was decided to strengthen the domestic cricket system.

Mohsin Naqvi said in this meeting, “The quality of domestic cricket will be promoted at all levels, from club level to national level. Tournaments will be organized continuously. The best coaches will be hired, and players will be groomed in a professional manner. This will reduce the international gap. Players will be selected based on performance and skills.”

The meeting also reviewed the structure of domestic cricket in India, Australia, England, and New Zealand.

PCB also decided to change the selection committee, and as a result, senior manager Wahab Riaz could be sacked.

Earlier, Naqvi said that he would make major changes to the national cricket team and that a big surgery would be done in the team.