Former star pacer Shabbir Ahmed has stepped down from the post of regional coach at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). His decision was motivated by the deeply concerning conditions he observed at the grassroots level of cricket in Pakistan.
Shabbir Ahmed resigns as Pakistan's regional coach
In his resignation letter, Shabbir, who served as the head coach in the Dera Ghazi Khan region, expressed his frustration with the rampant political interference, favouritism, and nepotism prevalent in cricket affairs at the regional and district levels. He found the situation unacceptable and chose to step away from his role.
"How can Pakistan cricket improve when there is no merit in selection of players at regional level and there is so much interference and nepotism and favouritism by cricket officials," he said, as quoted by PTI.
Shabbir Ahmed's motivation for coaching role
Shabbir Ahmed decided to take on the role of head coach in Dera Ghazi Khan with the aim of promoting and developing cricket at the district and regional levels. His goal was to nurture young players and contribute to the growth of the sport in the region.
"Unfortunately what I have experienced is very frustrating. A player who works hard throughout the year and is a good talent is overlooked in the final selection to pick a player who use political and other connections to get in," he added.
Shabbir also gave his two cents on Pakistan team's embarrassing Test series defeat against Bangladesh. He said that he was not surprised by Pakistan's 0-2 loss to Bangladesh. He acknowledged that Pakistan cricket was currently at its lowest point, highlighting the challenges and issues facing the sport in the country.
"Even if coaches who are sincere want to do something they are helpless in the existing system," Shabbir concluded.
Pakistan plummets to lowest Test ranking
Pakistan's six-wicket defeat in the second Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on Tuesday has led to a significant drop in the ICC Test team rankings. They have slipped to the 8th position with a rating of 76, their lowest since 1965. Prior to the Bangladesh series, Pakistan was ranked sixth. However, consecutive losses have pushed them below West Indies, resulting in their lowest rating points in the Test rankings table since 1965, excluding a brief period when they were not ranked due to insufficient match play.
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