NEW DELHI: Pakistan batter Ahmed Shehzad has criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) following Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin‘s comments on Pakistan cricket’s current state. Responding sarcastically to Ashwin’s surprise at Pakistan’s struggle, Shehzad mocked the PCB‘s handling of the national team and infrastructure projects.
Ashwin, after Pakistan’s 0-2 home defeat to Bangladesh in a two-match Test series, expressed his surprise.”Keeping all this aside, Pakistan cricket, to see where it is right now, it wasn’t possible 10 years ago with Misbah, Younis Khan, even when they used to play in UAE. Back then, it was very tough to beat Pakistan, right?” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. He added that he found the current state of the team unbelievable.
Shehzad responded to Ashwin’s comments with sarcasm, questioning why the Indian cricketer was surprised. “Why are you surprised, Ashwin? Don’t worry, everything is fine here. Can’t you see that stadiums are being built over here? Continuous digging is being done. Don’t be surprised at all,” Shehzad said, targeting the PCB’s infrastructure projects.He further mocked Pakistan’s efforts to organize tournaments such as the Champions One-Day Cup, sarcastically suggesting that this would solve the team’s problems. “Are you not seeing that Pakistan is organizing a cup? Just wait and watch the number of players who come out of this tournament. How we get a battery of fast bowlers and produce players. Are you not seeing this? Why are you surprised, Ravi?”
Shehzad did not hold back in his critique, even downplaying the team’s failure to qualify for the Super 8 round of the 2024 T20 World Cup and acknowledging issues within the squad. “So what if we couldn’t qualify for the Super 8 round of the 2024 T20 World Cup? So what if there is groupism in our team? So what if the current players in the team are not performing? It’s not a big issue, Ravi, so please don’t worry,” he said in a scathing tone.

Ahmed Shehzad has been a vocal critic of the PCB for several years, accusing the board of favoritism and broken promises, especially toward domestic cricketers. Earlier, he had refused to participate in the Champions Cup due to what he described as “favoritism, false promises, and injustice” within the system.
Reflecting on Pakistan’s cricketing past, Ashwin remarked how difficult it was to beat the team with players like Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, and spinners such as Yasir Shah. “All these guys, to where they are right now, I cannot believe it,” Ashwin said, echoing the sentiments of many who are surprised by Pakistan’s recent decline.

Shehzad’s comments and Ashwin’s observations paint a troubled picture of Pakistan cricket, highlighting the stark contrast between the team’s former glory and its current challenges.