Media Mishandling Deepens Pakistan Cricket Crisis

• By Thetripurapost Desk, Dubai
• Sep 22, 2025
• 634

Pakistan cricket is going through a full-blown crisis. Batting collapses, toothless bowling, sloppy fielding — and now a new embarrassment: mishandling the media.

Captains are meant to face the music after wins and losses. Instead, Pakistan’s skipper Salman Agha has either skipped press conferences, delayed them, or — worse — appeared only under heavily stage-managed conditions.

The Asia Cup has already exposed the cracks. After India thrashed Pakistan in Dubai on September 14, Salman Agha dodged the mandatory post-match presser. Coach Mike Hesson was sent in late, almost like a shield. Before the UAE game, the captain cancelled the press conference outright. And when Pakistan lost to India again in the Super Four, another farce unfolded: the presser was held, but microphones were deliberately kept away from Indian journalists.

The blatant bias from PCB’s media manager Naeem Gilani has not gone unnoticed. Indian reporters challenged PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi directly, demanding answers on why Pakistan were avoiding scrutiny. His evasive smile and vague “We will talk soon” only fueled the outrage.

The contrast could not be starker. When India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav was asked a pointed question by a Pakistani journalist about the “handshake controversy,” he handled it with poise, pride, and a smile. Pakistan’s management, meanwhile, appears fearful, defensive, and unprofessional.

The hard truth: until Pakistan shows the courage to face both the opposition and the media with honesty, their credibility will keep sinking — on and off the field.