Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has raised concerns about the country’s cricket talent pipeline, pointing to a lack of depth in player development. Following Pakistan’s unexpected Test defeat to Bangladesh, Naqvi stressed the urgency of structural reforms within the sport, citing the current system’s failure to provide suitable replacements for underperforming players.
In response to this issue, Naqvi introduced the Champions Cup, a new domestic tournament designed to uncover and cultivate future stars for the national team. Notably, Naqvi revealed that artificial intelligence (AI) played a major role in the selection of players for the tournament. “Eighty percent of the player selection was driven by AI, with the remaining 20% handled by humans. This ensures an unbiased and data-driven process,” Naqvi stated, underscoring AI’s growing influence in shaping cricket’s future.
Naqvi expressed confidence that the AI-assisted Champions Cup will bolster domestic cricket, providing a transparent system for player evaluations. As Pakistan readies for the second Test against Bangladesh, scheduled from August 30 to September 3 in Rawalpindi, Naqvi remains hopeful that AI-backed reforms will help strengthen the national team for years to come.
