5 Pakistan cricketers who have come out against the PCB

Politics in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has done a lot of damage to country's cricket. The board which has been continuously influenced by the changing political tides in the country has struggled to keep afloat with a smooth functioning.

Ramiz Raja sacked: The recent case of Ramiz Raja being sacked as the PCB chief and the appointment of Interim Chairman Najam Sethi is a stark reminder of that. On the surface, it appears that Ramiz was ousted after Pakistan's whitewash in the Test series against England, but in reality the reason is very political.

Sethi was the CEO and Chairman of the PCB from 2013 to 2018, and was removed when Imran Khan took over the country. In 2021, Ehsan Mani was removed and Ramiz Raja took over and made some promising reforms in Pakistan's cricket. Both Ehsan Mani and Ramiz were Imran Khan's men. And now, incumbent PM Shehbaz Sharif has appointed Najam Sethi as the Interim Chairman.

Najam Sethi will be the PCB chief until the new elections are held in April. The cricketers have started speaking against the PCB now.

Here are 5 cricketers who have been outspoken against the working style of PCB:

1. Wahab Riaz: The Pakistan pacer recently made some startling reveleations about Chairman Ramiz Raja. Speaking to Samaa TV, Riaz said that he had texted Ramiz nearly 4-5 times, but never got a reply or call from him. 

He said, "I was talking to one of the board members and he said he was happy Ramiz bhai was going. I had texted him 4-5 times during his tenure. I said I'm waiting for your message and your call. He didn't reply me back. Why? I am a present cricketer, I didn't take retirement."

Riaz had also criticized former selector Mohammad Wasim and his panel for running a trend to not allow any criceketer above 30 to be in the team. Riaz, who was a star bowler of Paksitan few years back especially in the World Cup of 2015, was removed from the team after 2020. His last appearance was against Zimbabwe and since then the 36-year-old has not found place in the team.

2. Mohammad Amir: Again, a star bowler of Pakistan who was instrumental in leading the team win the Champions Trophy 2017 took early retirement from international cricket in 2020 after a bad blood with PCB. 

Amir had alleged that he wasn't getting the respect which he deserved in the team. He had also circled down on Head Coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis for his early retirement. Amir had also charged at the PCB for including his name in the domestic cricket leagues, saying that the PCB selectors are educated ignorants.

3. Ahmed Shehzad: The Pakistani batsman who was also considered to be the Virat Kohli of Pakistani team, has also blamed Pakistan's management, coaches and staff for his ouster from the team. 

Shehzad last appeared in T20 against Sri Lanka in 2019 and since then he is out of the team. Shehzad had asked the PCB to make public the negative report which was submitted against him by former head coach Waqar Younis in 2015. 

Ramiz Raja, however, during his tenure as PCB chairman said that it was sheer frustration of Shehzad as he is out of the team. Raja, infact, advised Shehzad to reform his cricket and make a comeback to the team rather than showing his frustration.

For Shehzad too, things didn't end on a good note with PCB chief Ramiz Raja.

4. Shahid Afridi: Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi had criticised the PCB for making team's star bowler Shaheen Afridi pay for his own expenses for his rehabilitation in London. Afridi had slammed the PCB for not taking care of Shaheen's expenses.

While speaking to Samaa TV, Afridi had said, " When I talk about Shaheen, that guy went to England on his own. He bought his own ticket, he spent his own money to stay in a hotel. I arranged a doctor for him, then he contacted the doctor. PCB is not doing anything, he was doing everything on his own. Everything, from coordination to doctors to his hotel room and food expenses, he is paying out of his own pocket," Afridi said.

Afridi had recently also spoken against Ramiz Raja after the former Chairman complained that Pakistan was years away from making good cricket pitch.

5. Shoaib Akhtar: Former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar, so far, has been the most brutal in his criticism of Pakistani Cricket Board. In his autobiography, Controversially Yours, Akhar had made several claims regarding the bad working of the PCB, how the board appoints puppets in the team through whom they control the team and how the board has failed in providing for financial stability of former cricketers.

Akhtar revealed how he had to come out of mental trauma that he had to go because of the dirty politics of the board. He had also applauded Indian cricket board BCCI, for taking good care of former players unlike the PCB.