Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar says he understands the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) “real plan” behind mid-series mass changes to the squad for the England Tests. He argues the changes are aimed at restructuring the team for the future rather than making short-term adjustments only.
Akhtar says the PCB approach involves giving opportunities to younger players, while retaining only a limited group of pace bowlers for upcoming assignments. In his comments, he presents the selections as part of a broader rebuilding effort. Across the reporting, the focus is on the timing and scale of the squad adjustments during the England series context, and on Akhtar’s view that the PCB is managing the transition by selectively keeping specific specialist players.
While the sources differ little in what they attribute to Akhtar, they collectively center on his support for the PCB’s long-term strategy and his explanation of why certain established roles in the pace group are carried forward as Pakistan moves toward a youth-oriented plan.
