Imran Khan slams PCB chief after ‘embarrassing’ defeat against Bangladesh

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan slammed the country's current cricket board chief Mohsin Naqvi and blamed him for taking Pakistan cricket 'to a new low' after the Test side lost the first of the two-match series against Bangladesh by 10 wickets in Rawalpindi on Sunday. 

Khan, who has been settled at the Adiala Jail since last year, spoke to reporters there and expressed his disgruntlement over Pakistan cricket's downfall before going on a rant on his X handle blasting Naqvi.  

"Cricket is the only sport the entire nation watches with great interest on TV, but even that has been destroyed by powerful quarters who brought in an unqualified, favoured official to maintain their control," Khan wrote on his X account.

"For the first time, we (Pakistan) didn't make it to the top four in the World Cup or the top eight in T20. And yesterday, we faced an embarrassing defeat against Bangladesh, setting a new low. Just two-and-a-half years ago, this team had defeated India by 10 wickets. What has happened in these two-and-a-half years that we lost to Bangladesh by 10 wickets? The blame for all of this collapse falls on one institution," he added.

The 1992 World Cup-winning captain brought forth an investigation on Naqvi carried out in 2008 centring corruption as he questioned his credentials to lead the Pakistan Cricket Board. 

"Mohsin Naqvi owns property worth five million dollars in Dubai under his wife's name. He is involved in the wheat procurement scandal and was behind the most fraudulent election in our country. What are his qualifications?" Khan said. 

"Under him, the law-and-order situation across the country is deteriorating. Every day, people are being martyred in KP and Balochistan. The Punjab Police has been tasked with targeting PTI, which has allowed thieves and bandits to grow so strong that they have started abducting and murdering police officers. Mohsin Naqvi himself was investigated by NAB for corruption in 2008."