On Tuesday, May 14, the Pakistan Cricket Board unexpectedly announced its decision to release all five mentors in the first season of the Champions One-Day Cup. Amongst the five there were former captain Waqar Younis, besides Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik, Saqlain Mushtaq, and Sarfaraz Ahmed. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi got update reports on the mentors’ performances at a meeting. They had started working last year and were said to have been paid about 5 million Pakistani rupees every month.
At that meeting, concerns were manifested about the money being spent on the mentors not worth it due to no outcomes being delivered. A concern was expressed that the International Cricket Council (ICC) could reduce funding to PCB if the situation were to stay like that. Secondly, some concern is also there that the television rights for Pakistan’s matches could command lower bids in the next cycle, from 2028 to 2032, putting further financial pressure on the board.
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According to the PCB, mentors were meant to spend time with their domestic teams. However, they were also free to pursue media jobs and other business interests. Shoaib Malik was particularly held responsible since he gave priority to leading his National Team Championship team instead of acting in the coach’s role.
The firing of all five mentors could have a serious blow to the domestic teams. Although this comes as a surprise, the PCB has never shied from taking bold steps. Malik had told the PCB he wanted to be relieved of the mentor role; he was criticized for being on TV far more often as an analyst than he was fulfilling his mentor duties. “We are not PCB’s employees,” Malik said on Pakistan Television.
