Speaking on ARY News, Akhtar insisted his harsh words were not directed at Naqvi personally. 'The words 'incompetent and jaahil (illiterate)' that I used were not meant for Mohsin Naqvi bhai,' he explained, while admitting his comments appeared to target the PCB chief directly. The former speedster also expressed frustration with Naqvi's sudden reversal on the boycott stance against India in the T20 World Cup.
Akhtar's original criticism on an Indian news channel had questioned Naqvi's suitability for the PCB chairman role, stating 'Giving a big job to an incompetent and illiterate person' is the biggest crime. He also criticized Pakistan's Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi, suggesting the former should open and questioning Shaheen's fitness.