Hafeez quits as Pakistan Cricket Director due to issues with PCB

Muhammad Hafeez quits as Director of Pakistan Cricket due to rising tensions with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Cricket Director Muhammad Hafeez quits following the alleged ignorant behavior of recently appointed PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

According to media sources, Director Cricket Muhammad Hafeez wanted to meet Mohsin Naqvi and provide his report on the Australia and New Zealand tournaments. However, Mohsin did not provide Hafeez enough time for this meeting.

Meanwhile, PCB has expressed gratitude for the services of Muhammad Hafeez. The PCB posted on social media that the enthusiasm of Hafeez for the game has inspired players and his guidance during the tour of Australia and New Zealand has been invaluable.

The Pakistan Cricket Board extends heartfelt gratitude to Mohammad Hafeez, Director Pakistan men’s cricket team, for his invaluable contributions. Hafeez's passion for the game has inspired players and his mentorship during the tour of Australia and New Zealand have been of… pic.twitter.com/AM4IKbm0vB
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) February 15, 2024

The sources also claim that PCB is no longer interested in working with Hafeez. Hence, both sides have decided to separate ways. Hafeez was appointed Director Cricketer last year in November.

The tensions between PCB and Hafeez rose for several number of reasons. Earlier, there were claims that the chemistry of Hafeez with older players was not ideal during the tournament of New Zealand.

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According to sources, players expressed dissatisfaction with the lengthy meetings of Hafeez. They also became hesitant towards his strict approach to team management.

However, Hafeez did not give No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to famous cricketers Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, Azam Khan, and others for participation in ILT20s. However, when players requested NOCs for the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Hafeez hesitated and put their contracts at risk.

Consequently, the relationship between Hafeez and the players deteriorated when neither party changed their current approach. All of this resulted in the termination of Muhammad Hafeez as Cricket Director.

Hafeez has served as a former Test captain. He played for Pakistan in 55 tests, 218 ODIs, and 119 T20Is. He made a total of 12,780 scores and took 253 wickets overall in his cricket career.