'They have personal agendas' - Ex-PCB chief Ehsan Mani disregards Shahid Afridi's critical remarks after Pakistan's Champions Trophy debacle

Ehsan Mani served as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) from 2018 to 2021. He was also the President of the ICC from 2003 to 2006. Mani refused to pay attention to Shahid Afridi's criticism of Pakistan cricket after the Men in Green failed to progress to the knockouts of the 2025 Champions Trophy. Afridi, who is one of the finest all-rounders to have played the sport, said that the 'cricket in Pakistan cricket is in ICU' due to poor decisions.

The 45-year-old went on to lambast the selectors' decision to recall Shadab Khan in the T20I squad which will play five games in New Zealand, starting on Sunday, March 16, despite his abysmal returns in his last 10 outings in domestic cricket.

Mani refused to give credibility to Afridi's views, claiming that the former Pakistan captain has his 'own personal agendas.' The 79-year-old, however, feels that the current PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and the directors of the board need to lead Pakistan cricket collectively after disappointing results in the 2023 ODI World Cup, 2024 T20 World Cup, and the recent Champions Trophy.

“I do not give any credibility to what Shahid Afridi or anyone else says. They have their personal agendas or whatever. So, I wouldn't go there. No comment on that. All I would say is that leadership must come from the chairman and from the board of directors of PCB. For the rest, I don't give much credibility to these criticisms," Mani told Hindustan Times.

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The Men in Green will look to turn things around in the impending white-ball series against New Zealand, who reached the finals of the Champions Trophy. The Kiwis will be without some of their star players as they are prepping for the Indian Premier League 2025, which gets underway on March 22. Meanwhile, Pakistan will be led by Salman Ali Agha in the T20Is after regular captain Mohammad Rizwan was dropped along with Babar Azam and Naseem Shah. The two teams will play a three-match ODI series after the T20I rubber.