Former critics of Misbah go silent after landing coaching jobs with PCB: report

Newly appointed domestic coaches Faisal Iqbal, Mohammad Wasim, Basit Ali and Abdul Razzaq, all former critics of the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) policies and its head coach Misbah-ul-Haq, made a U-turn in their first press conference and steered clear of their stance on dual roles - Daily Express reported on Saturday.

Iqbal, the nephew of the legendary Javed Miandad, had famously accused the PCB of favouritism when Misbah was appointed both the head coach and chief selector in September 2019. He also rarely passed up on an opportunity to criticise Misbah on TV or his YouTube appearances.

When asked if his opinion of Misbah remains the same now that he would be directly answerable to the head coach, Iqbal absolutely did mince words.

"The social media or TV are completely different platforms. There, we say things that in our view are needed to be said for the team's betterment," Iqbal is quoted as saying. 

"Now that I, myself, am a part of this system, I would [still] surely give my opinion to Misbah on what I think is right."

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Basit, who had once deemed Misbah too defensive a coach for T20 cricket, denied "ever criticising Misbah or any other coach".

Wasim, who until last year was finding Misbah's personality weak, had no such qualms this time as he said that "any cricketer who speaks up has the sport's best interest at their heart."

Razzaq, who in 2013 had held Misbah responsible for all the ills in Pakistan cricket, also shied away from addressing his long harboured dislike for Misbah.

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