After ‘all talk’ jibe, Pakistan Army signals curtains for Mohsin Naqvi

Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir expressed displeasure to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi, criticizing his management after a humiliating T20 World Cup loss to India, calling for possible reprimand or removal

New Delhi: Pakistan’s Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has conveyed his displeasure to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding the state of affairs of the country’s cricket board. The army chief raised this issue after Pakistan’s humiliating defeat against India in the ongoing T20 World Cup.

Pakistan faced a humiliating defeat against India in the match that was played on February 15. Munir was, in particular, critical about the way in which Mohsin Naqvi, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, was running the show. Munir complained to Sharif that Naqvi had invoked the army during one of his interactions with the media.

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“He is all talk and no show,” the army chief said of Naqvi.

Naqvi’s statement, in which he said that “Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir never gets scared,” is what has ticked off the army chief. He feels that he has invoked the army and portrayed a very strong image of the institution. Naqvi, however, could not live up to the hype as the Pakistan cricket team suffered a humiliating defeat against India yet again.

Officials say that in Pakistan, cricket is a religion, as is the case in India. The people do not take too kindly to their team losing. However, the loss against India is something that hurts the people’s national pride. The people, too, have been complaining about the way in which the team has been playing.

They are, in particular, critical of Naqvi for the way in which he is running the board.

Naqvi was also in the news during the Asia Cup when the Indian team refused to take the winning trophy from him. Naqvi left the ground with the cup and has yet to return it. This, too, has not gone down too well with both experts and fans. They felt that he should have just left the trophy behind. Instead, he ended up making a joke of himself, many had said.

While all of this was overlooked and Naqvi was given time, this time the matter is serious. It has got the attention of the army chief, and hence action could be expected, another official added.

Munir and many within the army feel that Naqvi should be handed down a severe reprimand by the government or should be removed. Naqvi, who is an open India hater, has made references to the Pakistan Army on several occasions. His remarks have not gone down too well with the army.

The army officials felt that before Naqvi made such comments, he ought to have sought clearance. The army, which is the most powerful institution in Pakistan, has kept away from cricket and other sports. It tends not to interfere in such issues and feels that Naqvi should have just stuck to cricket and the administration of the board, and not invoked the army and its chief.

Experts say that the defeat to India, especially when relations between the two countries remain so tense, was seen as an embarrassment by the Pakistan Army. Munir was clear in his assessment of Naqvi when he spoke to the prime minister. He made it clear that the PCB chief was not delivering.

Not only has he been running the board badly, but even the team is performing far below. The team does not appear to even put up a fight in their games.

Adding to all these problems, Naqvi is quick to drag the army in, and this has angered the establishment. Another official said that Munir is bound to be upset. His army is still reeling from Operation Sindoor. That operation carried out by the Indian Armed Forces to avenge the Pahalgam attack left the Pakistan Army red-faced.

Munir wants to move past that and maintain that the army is a strong unit. An official said that this time, the establishment is likely to act and replace Munir. Now that it has been taken up by none other than the army chief himself, Naqvi’s days at the board are numbered, the official said.