Recently, the England vs Pakistan Test series saw PCB drop several major players, and now Alex Hartley has made a big claim regarding player security.
What Did Alex Hartley Say About the Impact of PCB’s Shake-Up
Recently, Alex Hartley appeared alongside Kate Cross on “No Balls: The Cricket Podcast,” where the two discussed various aspects of cricket. They also spoke about the recent Pakistan vs England men’s Test series, during which the 32-year-old said that players keep chopping and changing in Pakistan and even the coaches don’t seem to have much job security.
Hartley said, “My take on Pakistan men’s team, right? The players never feel secure. Neither do the coaches. You can play a series, and as a coach you get sacked.”
“When you’ve just signed a four-year deal, or players chop and change so much. You go out and fail, then you’re fighting for a place. If Harry Brooks fails, I know he’s a very different player, but he’ll know he’ll play the next two test matches. I don’t feel that this security is within the Pakistan team is there,” she added.
For context, two of the three Tests in the England vs Pakistan series have now been completed, with England leading 2-0. One of the notable talking points has been the absence of some of Pakistan’s big names, including Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf.
Hartley’s comments about the security and stability of Pakistan’s players and coaches appeared to ring true almost immediately. Soon after her remarks, news emerged that PCB had sent seven players home.
Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq were among them, with Imam’s absence linked to injury, while Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad were also released.
The changes didn’t stop there. Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also released, with Pakistan’s white-ball coach Mike Hesson and former Australia seamer Ashley Noffke brought in to replace them.
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