'Mohsin Naqvi Destroyed Pakistan Cricket': PCB Boss Under Fire After India's T20 Demolition Job

Last Updated:February 16, 2026, 15:46 IST

A senior opposition politician in Pakistan, speaking on condition of anonymity, demanded Mohsin Naqvi’s removal as PCB chief.

Pakistan’s crushing defeat to India in the T20 World Cup has spiralled far beyond the boundary ropes, triggering political outrage, cricketing backlash and a social media meltdown. What began as a high-pressure sporting contest has snowballed into a broader debate about leadership, accountability and the role of the establishment in Pakistan cricket.

At the centre of the storm is Mohsin Naqvi, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and simultaneously Pakistan’s Interior Minister. His dual role has come under renewed scrutiny after Pakistan’s batting collapsed under pressure in a one-sided loss to India. Adding to the optics, Naqvi was seen leaving the stadium midway through the match as the innings unravelled.

Political reactions were swift and scathing. A senior opposition politician, speaking on condition of anonymity, demanded Naqvi’s removal. “Mohsin Naqvi has failed as Chairman PCB and as Interior Minister," the leader said. “Mohsin Naqvi has destroyed Pakistan’s cricket." The politician added that combining the Interior Ministry and the PCB was untenable: “He should hold only one portfolio — either Interior Minister or PCB chief."

In a sharper attack, the same leader warned: “It’s the worst security era of Pakistan and he has failed to maintain law and order in the country too." The lawmaker claimed to be mobilising support within parliament. “I am in contact with other parliamentarians to move a motion against Mohsin in the next session."

Some politicians went further, questioning the very decision to play India amid heightened rhetoric. “Boycott’s decision was better than losing like this," one political voice said, arguing that the humiliating nature of the defeat had compounded public anger.

Former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry took to X with biting sarcasm: “An appeal to Faisal Vawda: Please add the eleven cricketers along with the 500 politicians, and also include the spoons and ladles of the cricket board in your list as well. Thank you." His post quickly went viral, reflecting the frustration and mockery dominating online discourse.

Senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Shireen Mazari directly questioned Naqvi’s dual responsibilities. “Running the Interior Ministry and the PCB together was a bad idea from day one. Cricket cannot be managed like bureaucracy," she wrote, highlighting concerns that administrative overreach had affected cricketing performance.

The backlash has not been limited to politicians. Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar launched a blistering attack on PCB leadership. “Now one guy who does not know anything has become the Pakistan Cricket Board’s chairman. How will the team run now?" he said. In even harsher words, Akhtar added: “The biggest crime in the world is to give a big job to an incompetent and jaahil (ignorant) person."

Former batting great Mohammad Yousuf described the situation as “the darkest period in our cricketing history," suggesting the defeat reflected deeper structural problems rather than a one-off collapse.

Behind the scenes, sources say the controversy has also unsettled Pakistan’s powerful military establishment. Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir is reportedly displeased, both with the defeat and with Naqvi’s earlier press conference remarks in which the PCB chief invoked Munir’s name while responding to questions about India and the ICC. Observers say dragging the army chief into a cricketing dispute — without prior clearance — was viewed as overstepping.

According to well-placed sources, Munir conveyed his concerns to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif through official channels, flagging what he saw as poor team preparation and rhetoric that unnecessarily escalated tensions. In Pakistan’s civil-military dynamic, such signals carry weight, fuelling speculation about possible changes at the PCB.

In a rivalry where sport and symbolism are inseparable, the fallout from this defeat shows how quickly cricket can morph into a national reckoning. Whether it results in structural change at the PCB remains to be seen.

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