Pakistan cricket, especially the red ball format is in turmoil. Cricket has recently returned to Pakistan and there is certainly a lot of work to do. There have been massive changes in the PCB after Pakistan's loss to England in the three-match Test series that was played last year in December. Ramiz Raja was ousted as the PCB chief and was replaced by Najam Sethi. As soon as Sethi took matters into his own hands, he appointed Shahid Afridi as the interim chief selector.
Babar Azam recently became the first Pakistan skipper to lose consecutive four Test matches on home soil and the situation certainly demanded some strict measures. The Rawalpindi pitch that was prepared for first England vs Pakistan Test came under heavy scrutiny as more than 500 runs were scored on the first day. Ramiz Raja, the former PCB chief that Pakistan needs to go a long way before they can prepare Test match-worthy pitches. Recently Shahid Afridi held a meeting with head coach Saqlain Mushtaq, Babar Azam, and other notable officials of the PCB and discussed a few things important for the road ahead.
Shahid Afridi further revealed his plans and said:
We had a great meeting with the head coach and the skipper and it turned out to be very productive and positive. We are looking forward make a few changes in the body so that it helps Pakistan cricket to grow as a brand. We want Pakistan to play positively and our main focus is to develop good pitches. If we develop good pitches, it brings a certain level of excitement to the matches, people come in to watch matches and enjoy the proceedings. The meeting was all about maintaining a positive mindset. Saqlain and Babar responded pretty amazingly to it. If Pakistan are to dominate, they will have to fearlessly and that can only happen when we prepare competitive pitches at home.
ALSO READ | Big blow to Mumbai Indians, star all-rounder might miss out of T20 action
The first Test match between Pakistan and New Zealand that was played in Karachi didn't attract a large crowd and hence tickets for the second Test match were distributed for free. With Shahid Afridi and Najam Sethi at the helm of PCB, things might change and only time will tell how much the Pakistan cricket team benefit from it.
