Karachi, Feb 21: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi asked the national selectors to review the Champions Trophy squad at least twice before giving his final approval, according to a source. A reliable source in the PCB claimed that Naqvi, while not interfering in purely cricketing decisions, was running the board affairs "with an iron hand". India Vs Pakistan ICC Champions Trophy 2025: All-Rounder Khushdil Shah Confident Of Beating Men In Blue In Mega Clash, Says ‘India Is Strong But Beatable’.

“When the squad for the Champion Trophy was finalized by the selectors and sent to Naqvi for approval he sent it back telling the selectors to again review the squad to be sure the best players were selected,” the source claimed.

When the selectors sent the squad a second time to Naqvi, he sent it back asking them to be sure about their decisions, according to the source.

“It was only after the third time that the chairman approved the 15-member squad for the mega-event but made it clear to the selectors and team management they were solely responsible for it,” the source said. The national selectors include the team's interim head coach Aaqib Javed, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Aleem Dar and Hasan Cheema. India Vs Pakistan ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Pacer Haris Rauf Plays Down Any Pressure Of Mega Fixture, Says 'Our Entire Game Plan Will Depend On The Conditions And Pitch On Match Day'.

“Naqvi, having remained the caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab, is running the board affairs with an iron hand and no decision is implemented or executed without his final approval,” the source claimed. “He has now mainly brought in his own team of bureaucrats and government officials to run the cricket and board affairs.”

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)