Mohsin Naqvi [Source: AFP]Former Pakistan batter Mohammad Yousuf spoke very strongly after Pakistan’s heavy loss to India, saying that politics and personal interests are damaging cricket in the country. Although Yousuf did not mention any name directly, his words were widely seen as criticism of PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi.Notably, Yousuf's comments came a day after Pakistan, led by Salman Ali Agha, lost by 61 runs to India in a Group A match of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday. This was the ninth time the two teams have met in T20 World Cup history, and India have now won eight of those matches, while Pakistan have managed only one victory.Pakistan cricket in crisis after loss against IndiaNotably, Pakistan cricket has gone into deep shock after this big defeat to India in the T20 World Cup match on February 15 in Colombo. Because of this result, Pakistan’s chances of reaching the Super 8 stage are now in danger. Their next match against Namibia has become a must-win game, mainly because Pakistan’s NRR is very poor.The match clearly showed the big difference between the two teams’ performance levels. According to Mohammad Yousuf, Pakistan cannot improve unless political interference is removed from cricket administration.Yousuf’s strong criticism of cricket leadershipIn a sharp message posted on social media platform X, the former batting star said Pakistan cricket must get rid of politics and personal agendas if it wants to succeed again.“Unless we remove political influence and personal agendas from Pakistan cricket, we cannot return to the team we once were. This is the darkest period in our cricketing history, and my heart bleeds for it. Incompetent individuals must be removed from office and from the team.”Mohammad Yousaf @yousaf1788 Unless we remove political influence and personal agendas from Pakistan cricket, we cannot return to the team we once were. This is the darkest period in our cricketing history, and my heart bleeds for it. Incompetent individuals must be removed from office and from the team. Controversies around Mohsin Naqvi’s tenureSince becoming PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi has been linked with several decisions that critics say were influenced by politics rather than cricketing needs. One major controversy happened during the Asia Cup 2025 ceremony, when he removed the trophy from the podium after India refused to receive it from Mohsin Naqvi. Noptably, the incident created tension in the cricket world. However, inside Pakistan, the government praised Mohsin Naqvi for his actions.Before the T20 World Cup 2026, Mohsin Naqvi also arranged a meeting between Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and officials to discuss possibly boycotting the India match. The idea was to support Bangladesh, which had been removed from the tournament by the ICC.After several high-level meetings, including discussions with ICC officials in Lahore, the boycott plan was cancelled. Many observers felt this episode showed that politics was interfering with cricket decisions. Some also believe the distraction and uncertainty before the tournament affected Pakistan’s preparation and contributed to the heavy defeat against India in Colombo.Pakistan face elimination threatIt is important to note that Pakistan now find themselves in a do-or-die situation in the tournament. If Salman Ali Agha’s team loses to Namibia, Pakistan will be eliminated from the tournament. In that case, the USA would qualify from Group A for the Super 8 stage along with India.
