Pakistan Cricket Set for Major Overhaul Under Mohsin Naqvi
Mohsin Naqvi is preparing to swing the axe.
Pakistan’s cricket setup, already under heavy scrutiny after a string of defeats and chaotic decisions, is bracing for sweeping changes that cut straight through the selection and coaching structure.
According to a PTI report, Naqvi is set to overhaul the national selection committee, with senior selector Aaqib Javed expected to be relieved of his duties. The move targets the very man who drove the controversial Test squad shake-up earlier this month, after Pakistan’s loss in the Lord’s Test against England.
That defeat didn’t just sting. It triggered an exodus.
Seven players and two members of the coaching staff — head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul — were sent back home mid-tour. The decision stunned many inside and outside the dressing room and piled further pressure on an already unstable system.
Aaqib has long stood at the centre of that storm. He has faced criticism for frequent changes to the coaching staff and captaincy, with little continuity and even less clarity. Now, it appears his time as senior selector is nearing its end.
An internal source, quoted in the PTI report, painted a blunt picture of the mood at the top.
"Even Mohsin Naqvi has now realised that some radical measures are required to end the losing streak and abrupt happenings in Pakistan cricket. So these changes are now on the cards," the source said.
The shake-up will not stop with Aaqib.
Wahab Riaz, another former Pakistan fast bowler and currently mentor with the women’s team, is also set to be released from his role. His exit is expected to come after the conclusion of the women’s Asian Games campaign in Japan later this month, underlining that both the men’s and women’s structures are under review.
Behind the scenes, the coaching carousel has been spinning again.
The report suggests that the Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision to make coaching changes during the England tour was driven by white-ball coach Mike Hesson signalling strong interest in taking on an all-format role with the men’s team. That interest has clearly emboldened the PCB.
Talks have already begun with several foreign coaches over the women’s head coach position once the Asian Games are over. It points to a broader reset: not just personnel changes, but a fresh direction across both programmes.
Naqvi, for his part, is not expected to move quietly.
"Naqvi will soon hold a high-level meeting with his aides and also take the governing board members into confidence before final decisions are made on the changes," the source added, indicating that a formal, top-level sign-off is imminent.
The key piece in this puzzle, though, is Hesson.
He has not walked in blindly. According to the report, Hesson has laid down clear conditions before accepting the red-ball coaching role. He wants time — a proper window to implement his methods — and a confirmed tenure. Just as crucial, he has asked for assurances that his decision-making will be free from interference.
In Pakistan cricket, that last demand may be the toughest of all.
If Naqvi grants Hesson the autonomy he seeks and pushes through the looming clear-out of selectors and mentors, Pakistan could be on the verge of a rare thing in their cricket politics: a clean break and a defined line of authority.
Whether that reset finally ends the “abrupt happenings” that have haunted their cricket, or simply starts another cycle of upheaval, will define Naqvi’s tenure — and perhaps Pakistan’s next era on the field.
