T20 World Cup 2026: Shoaib Akhtar slams Mohsin Naqvi after Pakistan’s Super Eight exit

Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar launched a strong criticism of Mohsin Naqvi following Pakistan’s early exit from the T20 World Cup 2026. Despite securing a narrow win over Sri Lanka in their final Super 8 fixture, Pakistan failed to boost their Net Run Rate (NRR) sufficiently. The Salman Ali Agha-led side eventually lost out to New Zealand in the race for a semifinal berth.

Akhtar expressed frustration over the team’s repeated failures in ICC tournaments, pointing out that Pakistan has now missed out on the semifinals in four consecutive major events, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. The former pacer questioned the leadership and administrative structure under Naqvi, stating that while the PCB chairman holds significant power, the board has failed to establish a strong and stable management system.

“Pakistan’s management looks completely clueless. Today’s team selection only confirmed that the XI picked over the last 15 days was wrong. There was one clear error: Saim Ayub should have played instead of Khawaja Nafay,” Akhtar said on Tapmad as quoted by NDTV Sports.

“This selection showed that when you pick the right players for the right roles, they perform. Fakhar Zaman is a natural opener, yet he was not played earlier. Today, Farhan, Fakhar, and Abrar all delivered,” he added.

The former cricketer did not hold back, stating that Pakistan’s repeated failure to reach the business end of major tournaments clearly indicates that something is seriously wrong within the board’s system and overall management structure.

“I have nothing against Mohsin Naqvi. From what I hear, he is a good person. He is one of the most powerful chairmen in Pakistan’s cricket history. He has influence, resources, and authority. But if he (Naqvi) can’t build a strong management structure and the team has failed to qualify in four consecutive tournaments, then something is seriously wrong within the board,” Akhtar concluded.

Pakistan suffered a defeat against India in the group stage but bounced back with wins over USA, Namibia, and the Netherlands to secure qualification for the Super Eight. However, their campaign faltered in the next round. Their opening Super Eight fixture against New Zealand was washed out due to rain, and they then lost to England, leaving them in a must-win situation. Pakistan needed a big victory against Sri Lanka to improve their Net Run Rate, but they failed to achieve the required margin, resulting in their exit from the tournament.