'Even the tomato seller knows better than Pakistan cricket board': Basit Ali lambasts PCB after recent woes

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Updated: Apr 7, 2025, 18:10 IST

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Former cricketer Basit Ali has called for the resignation of Pakistan's selection committee after the team's poor performance in a recent ODI series against New Zealand. He criticized the selections and suggested organizing a T10 tournament to improve players' skills. The Pakistani team's recent performance and strategy were also critiqued following their Champions Trophy group stage exit.

'Even the tomato seller knows better than Pakistan cricket board': Basit Ali lambasts PCB after recent woes

Pakistan cricket (AP Photo)

NEW DELHI: Former cricketer Basit Ali has called for the resignation of Pakistan's selection committee in the wake of the national team's disappointing performance, culminating in a 3-0 clean sweep loss to New Zealand in a recent One Day International (ODI) series.
This call for change comes amid a period of underwhelming performances by the Pakistani cricket team, notably since their exit from the Champions Trophy at the group stage, an event they previously won.
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Basit Ali, expressing his dissatisfaction with the selection committee's decisions, suggested that the committee, which includes Aleem Dar, Aqib Javed, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, and Hassan Cheema, lacks expertise in team formation.

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He highlighted the committee's failure to include spinners in the Champions Trophy squad as a critical oversight.

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"The selection committee should resign. They don't know how to make teams. From the Champions Trophy until now, it has been a flop show. Even the tomato seller was asking why you didn't include spinners in the Champions Trophy. Aqib should step down. If you stay for four months, you will lose against Bangladesh as well," Basit said on his YouTube channel, as quoted by ANI.
In an effort to rebuild and focus on future competitions, including the 2026 T20 World Cup and the 2027 ODI World Cup, Pakistan embarked on a tour of New Zealand, which included five Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) and three ODIs.
For the T20I series against New Zealand, Pakistan opted for a younger, less experienced squad, excluding key players such as Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
Despite the infusion of new talent, Pakistan was defeated 4-1 by a relatively young New Zealand team led by Michael Bracewell.

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The subsequent ODI series, aimed at preparing for the 2027 World Cup, also ended in disappointment for Pakistan, even with the return of Azam and Rizwan to the lineup.
Additionally, Basit proposed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, should consider organising a T10 cricket tournament.
"PCB chairman should host a T10 tournament. Babar, Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Agha, Tayyab Tahir, and Abdullah Shafique need to learn power hitting," he added.

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