Mushtaq Ahmed reacts to PCB Chairman's 'Surgery' remarks after T20 World Cup setback

Former Pakistan cricketer Mushtaq Ahmed has reacted to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi's statement about a 'major surgery' in the national team following a disappointing T20 World Cup 2024 campaign co-hosted by the USA and West Indies.

In an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, Mushtaq emphasized the importance of a measured approach when making changes to the team.

"This shouldn't happen at all. When making decisions, you need to take your time. You need to research who you are appointing and understand their value. If you want to appoint Gary as a coach, you need to look at his entire history—where he has worked, how many victories he has, and how much development work he has done—then give him three years. You appoint a captain, a manager, and coaches, but when you bypass the process and make emotional decisions, the results of emotional decisions turn out like this. You need to prioritize the process," Mushtaq said.

The former spinner also highlighted the necessity of following a structured process to ensure long-term success.

He stressed the importance of having experienced individuals in key roles and getting players out of their comfort zones.

"As long as you don't bring these things under a proper process, many people will come who won't follow the process. My simple point is that things should be kept very simple: take your time. These are our boys; they will win for us. As long as we strengthen our bench, the right people for the right job will come and do good work. Those who already have experience in these tasks can lead the team. You need to get the boys out of their comfort zones, and only those who have come out of their comfort zones can do that. So, all these elements should be considered. In short, there's no need for surgery; take your time, and everything will fall into place," he concluded.

It is worth noting that the Men in Green had a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign. They faced an upset defeat at the hands of co-hosts the USA, followed by a crucial loss against arch-rivals India. 

Despite winning their last two matches against Canada and Ireland, it wasn't enough to advance to the next round, resulting in their elimination from the tournament.