Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has expressed concern that Gary Kirsten’s sudden resignation as head coach of Pakistan’s ODI and T20I teams could hurt the country’s prospects of attracting high-profile international coaches in the future. Kirsten, who took up the role just six months ago, stepped down on the eve of Pakistan’s white-ball tour of Australia, leaving without coaching the team in a single ODI.

Raja pointed out that this public fallout, along with past instances of coaching instability, could deter renowned coaches from considering Pakistan as a coaching destination. Kirsten’s departure is a significant setback, especially given his reputation as the coach behind India’s 2011 World Cup victory. Raja explained that Pakistan’s coaching roles require clarity and stability to avoid further incidents like this.

The PCB’s recent decision to strip coaching staff of selection powers seems to have contributed to the rift, particularly between Kirsten, Test coach Jason Gillespie, and the PCB. ESPNcricinfo reported that Gillespie, who will step into the head coach role for the Australian tour, is also dissatisfied with these sudden changes. A third selection committee in three months was recently formed, with an unusual inclusion of umpire Aleem Dar, further complicating the situation.

Raja emphasized the importance of giving the head coach autonomy over team decisions, a power he feels is essential to hold coaches accountable. He also highlighted that Mohammad Rizwan, taking over as captain from Babar Azam, needs control over his team’s lineup to lead effectively, rather than relying on selections made by the committee.

Reflecting on Pakistan’s recent win over England, Raja called for calm and stability in Pakistan cricket as they head into an intense international calendar. He believes that consistency in leadership and decision-making will help Pakistan navigate this challenging period effectively.

Pakistan has revealed its 16-member squad for the upcoming Emerging Teams Asia Cup, with Mohammad Haris leading the team. The tournament will kick off on October 18 in Oman, and Pakistan Shaheens will face off against India A on October 19, a highly anticipated encounter between the arch-rivals.

The Pakistan squad includes several experienced players who are currently out of the national selection pool, such as Haider Ali, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Imran Jnr, and Shahnawaz Dahani. The team will participate in a preparatory camp in Karachi from October 11 to 15 before heading to Oman for the tournament.

Pakistan Squad for Emerging Teams Asia Cup:

• Mohammad Haris (captain)
• Abdul Samad
• Ahmed Daniyal
• Arafat Minhas
• Haider Ali
• Haseebullah
• Mehran Mumtaz
• Mohammad Abbas Afridi
• Mohammad Imran Jnr
• Omair Bin Yousuf
• Qasim Akram
• Shahnawaz Dahani
• Sufiyan Moqim
• Yasir Khan
• Zaman Khan

Pakistan Shaheens, the defending champions, are placed in Group B along with India A, Oman, and UAE. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals on October 25, with the final scheduled for October 27.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is awaiting government approval to send the Indian cricket team to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. However, there may be a positive development in this regard. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi is expected to meet Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar during the SCO summit in Islamabad on October 15-16, which could serve as an ice-breaker for relations between the two cricket boards.

According to reports in the Pakistani media, Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister, will extend an invitation to Jaishankar to attend the Champions Trophy next year. He is expected to brief the Indian FM on security measures and protocols planned for the tournament, as well as Pakistan’s overall preparations and an upcoming ICC delegation visit.

BCCI’s Stance on Visiting Pakistan

Historically, the Indian government has not permitted the Indian cricket team to travel to Pakistan for any event, including ICC tournaments. BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla emphasized that the final decision would rest with the Indian government and the incoming ICC chief, Jay Shah, who is also the BCCI Secretary. In the past, a hybrid model was adopted for the Asia Cup, where India’s matches were played in Sri Lanka instead of Pakistan.

“As far as the Champions Trophy is concerned, Pakistan is hosting that tournament. Last year, the Asia Cup was in Pakistan, and we adopted a hybrid model where India’s matches were played in Sri Lanka. Until now, there have been no discussions in BCCI for that tournament, and we have not come up with a decision. We have good news that our BCCI Secretary Jay Shah will become the ICC Chairman. So, he will be there in ICC as independent Chairman and will take a decision on the matter,” said Rajiv Shukla.

Tentative ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Schedule

The Champions Trophy will feature eight teams divided into two groups:

• Group A: Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and New Zealand
• Group B: England, South Africa, Australia, and Afghanistan

The preliminary schedule for the tournament, starting from February 19, 2025, is as follows:

• February 19: New Zealand vs Pakistan – Karachi
• February 20: Bangladesh vs India – Lahore
• February 21: Afghanistan vs South Africa – Karachi
• February 22: Australia vs England – Lahore
• February 23: New Zealand vs India – Lahore
• February 24: Pakistan vs Bangladesh – Rawalpindi
• February 25: Afghanistan vs England – Lahore
• February 26: Australia vs South Africa – Rawalpindi
• February 27: Bangladesh vs New Zealand – Lahore
• February 28: Afghanistan vs Australia – Rawalpindi
• March 1: Pakistan vs India – Lahore
• March 2: South Africa vs England – Rawalpindi
• March 5 (Semi-final 1): TBD vs TBD – Karachi
• March 6 (Semi-final 2): TBD vs TBD – Rawalpindi
• March 9 (Final): TBD vs TBD – Lahore

The potential ice-breaker meeting during the SCO summit might pave the way for BCCI’s decision-making regarding the Indian cricket team’s participation in Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Babar Azam has stepped down as Pakistan’s white-ball captain for the second time in a year, citing feeling disconnected and undervalued as the main reasons for his decision. Following Pakistan’s group-stage exit in the T20 World Cup, speculation grew about Babar’s leadership, and it was reported that he felt increasingly detached from his teammates, contributing to his decision to resign.

The Growing Disconnect

According to Cricket Pakistan, Babar’s growing sense of disconnection with the team after the T20 World Cup played a pivotal role in his resignation. Babar also reportedly felt undervalued, particularly after being reinstated as captain just before the T20 World Cup, following his initial resignation post the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Rizwan as the Likely Successor

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is already in discussions with wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan to take over as the new white-ball captain. It has also been suggested that coach Gary Kirsten wanted Babar to continue leading the ODI side while appointing a new T20I captain. However, Babar reportedly turned down this proposal.

Babar’s Focus on Personal Growth

Babar took to social media platform X to clarify that stepping down from the captaincy was to reduce his workload and focus more on his batting and personal growth. He expressed his commitment to continue contributing to the Pakistan team across all formats.

With Babar stepping down, the debate on Pakistan’s leadership continues, as the team looks for a fresh start ahead of its upcoming tours.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that Mohammad Yousuf has voluntarily resigned from his position as a member of the national selection committee. Yousuf made this decision to focus on other key responsibilities within the PCB.

The PCB expressed its gratitude for Yousuf’s contributions as a selector and emphasized that he will continue to be an integral part of the board. He will serve as the batting coach at the High Performance Centre, bringing his vast experience and knowledge to the role.

Yousuf also recently led the Pakistan U19 team as head coach, guiding them to a third-place finish in the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 held in South Africa.

“We played some excellent cricket, both with the bat and the ball. The issue was that we didn’t sustain it long enough,” Gillespie said on a PCB podcast. He emphasized the need for consistency and seizing opportunities, “When we allowed our opponents to get into the game, they capitalized and pulled ahead. That’s where we let ourselves down.”

In the first Test against Bangladesh, Pakistan declared early and had their opponents struggling at 218/5, but Bangladesh mounted a strong comeback to reach 565. In the second Test, after putting up 274 runs, Pakistan reduced Bangladesh to 26/6, only to see their advantage slip as Bangladesh fought back, resulting in a slender first-innings lead of just 12 runs.

“What we need is a bit more ruthlessness. When we’re ahead, we need to stay ahead and really drive home that advantage. There was some very good work done, but when we had a bad hour, it set us back,” said Gillespie.

With a home series against England set to begin next week, Gillespie acknowledges the challenge, particularly given England’s aggressive batting approach, famously dubbed “Bazball.” England has a different squad this time, with key players like James Anderson, Mark Wood, and Ollie Robinson absent. However, Gillespie doesn’t see this as a weakness. “We can only prepare to play against the players that England has selected. While some of their players might be inexperienced, they’ve shown that they can perform at the Test level,” he added.

The Australian coach is optimistic about the series, emphasizing the pride and excitement his team feels playing Test cricket for Pakistan. “They take pride in representing their country and want to inspire the Pakistani supporters,” Gillespie shared.

Pakistan’s team selection faced criticism in the series against Bangladesh, particularly for fielding an all-pace attack on a spin-friendly surface. In contrast, the squad for the England series includes three specialist pacers—Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Mir Hamza—alongside all-rounder Aamer Jamal, with an addition of veteran spinner Noman Ali.

Defending the selections, Gillespie emphasized backing players and fostering open communication. “All players are disappointed when they miss out… but the players understand my philosophy regarding selection. We want to back and support players,” he explained.

Gillespie is well aware of England’s aggressive cricket style, which led to their historic series win in Pakistan in 2022. While not a fan of the term “Bazball,” Gillespie noted, “We will play our way, striving to be a consistent and disciplined team that hangs in there and strikes at the right moment.”

Gillespie is confident that his team is motivated to face the challenge and prove doubters wrong. “A lot of people are writing us off, and that’s okay. It will only motivate our boys a little bit more. We’ll go out and do our jobs as best we can, and hopefully, the results will take care of themselves.”

A controversy has erupted in Pakistan cricket, with allegations surfacing that Babar Azam was aware of his appointment as the T20I captain well before it was officially announced, despite assurances to Shaheen Afridi that he had no intentions of taking over the role. Babar replaced Shaheen as skipper just before the T20 World Cup, following Afridi’s brief tenure as captain in only one series.

A journalist from Saamna TV claimed that during a training camp at the Army base in Kakul, Babar and Shaheen had a conversation where Babar supposedly reassured the fast bowler that he had no ambitions of becoming the captain. However, the journalist alleged that Babar already knew he would be named as the next skipper. A member of the team management reportedly kept Shaheen in the dark about these developments.

While the journalist initially made strong accusations against Babar, he later backtracked, suggesting that Babar might not have been fully aware of the behind-the-scenes decisions regarding the captaincy change.

This controversy comes as Pakistan grapples with the fallout from their disappointing T20 World Cup campaign, where they were knocked out in the group stage, including a shocking loss to the USA. Several former players have voiced their support for Shaheen, criticizing his removal as unjust, while coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie have urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to avoid making sudden captaincy changes.

The ongoing debate raises questions about leadership within the team, with Pakistan cricket once again finding itself in the midst of a captaincy crisis.

Saleema Imtiaz has made history as the first Pakistani woman to be nominated to the ICC International Development Panel of umpires. This prestigious nomination allows her to officiate in women’s bilateral international matches and ICC women’s events. Her first assignment will be during the upcoming T20I series between Pakistan and South Africa, starting Monday in Multan.

Reflecting on her achievement, Imtiaz expressed her gratitude and dedication, saying, “The journey has been filled with hard work and personal sacrifices, but now, standing at the cusp of this new chapter, it all feels worth it. This isn’t just a win for me, it’s a win for every aspiring female cricketer and umpire in Pakistan.”

Imtiaz, the mother of Pakistani cricketer Kainat Imtiaz, has already officiated in 22 T20Is, 16 as an on-field umpire and six as a TV umpire. Her latest appearance was in the Women’s Asia Cup final between India and Sri Lanka in Dambulla.

Starting her umpiring career in 2008, Imtiaz has steadily risen through the ranks, officiating in key tournaments like the 2022 Asia Cup and the 2023 ACC Emerging Women’s Cup. Now, her goal is to continue performing at the highest level and build her reputation as a respected official.

In other developments, Ahmed Shahab, Khalid Mehmood Sr., Rana Muhammad Arshad, and Qaiser Waheed have been promoted to the PCB Elite Panel of Umpires, with several others being elevated to the PCB Supplementary Panel.