Former PCB chief criticizes Shahid Afridi and slams ICC's conduct
What's the story
Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ehsan Mani has voiced his displeasure over Shahid Afridi's recent remarks on the condition of Pakistan cricket.
Afridi had said that current PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi doesn't know anything about cricket and called the sport in Pakistan "critical condition."
Mani, however, brushed aside the comments as lacking credibility and said they arise from personal agendas.
"Look, there's no shortage of talent in Pakistan," he stated as per Hindustan Times.
Leadership call
Mani emphasizes the need for strong leadership in PCB
Mani stressed on the need of strong leadership from both PCB chairman and its board of directors.
"I do not give any credibility to what Shahid Afridi or anyone else says. They have their personal agendas or whatever," he stated.
He said, "Leadership must come from the chairman and from the board of directors of PCB."
His comments highlight his opinion that good governance is the need of the hour to improve Pakistan cricket's current state.
ICC criticism
Mani criticizes ICC's management of Champions Trophy hosting
Mani also expressed disappointment over the way the International Cricket Council (ICC) handled hosting the Men's Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan.
He said when events were allocated to India and Pakistan, it was completely the ICC's responsibility to ensure that any issue arising was dealt with well before the tournament started.
Their last-minute handling was "totally wrong," he criticized.
"It's very disappointing the way it was managed. The responsibility for this is with the ICC," he further added.
Advantage claims
Mani addresses claims of India's advantage in Champions Trophy
Despite India's successful run in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, concerns were raised about an alleged advantage as all their matches were played in Dubai.
However, Mani refuted these claims, stating that "the pitch was the same for all teams playing there."
He further clarified that this decision was made by the ICC from the outset and shouldn't be criticized later on.
"The pitch was the same for all the teams playing there," he noted.