Former Pakistan fast bowler and PCB Director of High Performance, Aaqib Javed, made a startling claim on Tuesday. He said India had sought guidance from Pakistan on fast bowling through the board’s overseas pathway programme, which is designed to provide coaching and training opportunities to cricketers from around the world.
Aaqib, who is also currently serving as a member of the national selection committee, made the statement while speaking on the PCB’s official podcast, where he touched upon various topics, including Pakistan cricket, the long-term vision and the schemes laid down to unearth fresh talent.
Aaqib initially opened up on the board’s overseas players programme, saying “Foreign and overseas players can now come to Pakistan for training, and we have already hosted players from the Netherlands and England.”
The 1992 World Cup-winning player added that the programme is particularly important for Pakistan to identify and nurture fast-bowling talent while testing the strength of the country’s coaching and support systems. He then mentioned that the board had received several calls from India seeking guidance for their fast bowlers.
“Until we challenge ourselves, we won’t know where we stand internationally, how capable our coaches are, or how strong our systems truly are,” he noted. “This programme will eventually expand worldwide, and we have already received calls from India seeking guidance for their fast bowlers.”
The statement raised eyebrows, especially given the strained geopolitical relations between the two countries. Tensions escalated further after the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year, following which both teams were repeatedly at loggerheads on the cricket field.
During the senior men’s T20 Asia Cup in September, India and Pakistan faced each other three times, including in the final. Players from both sides were found to have breached the ICC Code of Conduct across those encounters and were duly sanctioned. The final, in particular, sparked controversy after India declined to receive the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as a minister in the Pakistan cabinet. Naqvi subsequently left the venue with the trophy, stating he would hand it over only if it was formally accepted by the Indian team. The episode was later discussed at an ICC meeting last month.
More recently, Naqvi and the Pakistan camp criticised the Indian Under-19 team for what they termed “unethical” behaviour during the Asia Cup final last Sunday, with the PCB chief confirming that the matter would be flagged to the ICC.
Against this backdrop, Aaqib struck a lighter tone when pressed on India’s alleged “calls” seeking fast-bowling guidance.
“Common people think differently, while bureaucracy approaches things in its own way,” he said.
