Pakistan’s cricket misfortunes took a deeper nosedive at their recent Test meeting vs Bangladesh. The Men in Green could not sustain a decent performance versus Bangladesh losing 2–0 on home soil.
Legends of the sport continue to voice their discontent over Pakistan’s worsening form across formats. The effects of legends coming out to disapprove of Pakistan’s current form is yet to yield any results.
Pakistan in Crisis: Legends React to the Current Team Form
Seeing Pakistan falter time and again across formats is becoming a regular event. Former Team Pakistan cricketers have come out to share their views on the team’s current wobbles in all formats.
Inzamam-ul-Haq
Veteran cricketer Inzamam-ul-Haq has come out to slam Pakistan’s batters for their poor Test run in recent matches. Pakistan has failed to secure a home Test victory in multiple attempts, prompting Inzamam to speak:
“Losing three series and failing to win a single Test at home in nine attempts is alarming. Home series were once our stronghold, but to achieve success, the batsmen need to deliver runs,” he said.
Javed Miandad
Miandad expressed hurt as Pakistan failed to secure another important Test victory vs Bangladesh. However, he didn’t fail to acknowledge the development of Bangladesh as a Test side in recent times:
“It is deeply hurtful that our cricket has reached this stage. Bangladesh deserves credit for their disciplined performances, but the collapse of our batting throughout the series is a troubling sign,” Miandad said. The former Team Pakistan cricketer also cited frequent squad changes and administrative replacements affects their current team:
“I wouldn’t just blame the players. The issues within the board and the constant changes in captaincy and management over the past year and a half have taken a toll on the team,” he added.
Iqbal Qasim
Pakistani ex-cricketer Iqbal Qasim faults the lack of quality pacers in the team’s current lineup:
“We no longer have pacers of the calibre of Sarfaraz Nawaz, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, or Shoaib Akhtar. We should be banking on our spinners and providing them with supportive pitches,” he said. Qasim believes Pakistan’s current setup will not perform without more high-quality pacers.
Ravi Ashwin Speaks on Pakistan Cricket in Crisis
Senior Team India Test cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed his worry over Pakistan’s current poor form. Ashwin noted Pakistan’s current terrible form and how it sharply contrasts the team’s long-standing reputation:
“1,000 days at home [without a win]”
Pakistan has broken an unwanted home Test record within their terrible run of form. The former Test powerhouse has now gone more than 2 years without a Test win on home soil. Ashwin noted this horrible Test record as Pakistan slumped to another humiliating defeat this year:
“What a victory for Bangladesh but what a disappointment for Pakistan. It’s quite disappointing because Pakistan is not an easy team to beat. But more than 1000 days at home Pakistan haven’t won at home. Pakistani cricket fans are passionate,” the senior Indian cricketer said via his YouTube channel.
Ashwin also commented on the development of Bangladesh in Tests for years. He notes that the latest team to hand Pakistan a bitter defeat is no pushover in Test cricket:
“Of course, Bangladesh have come a long way. I don’t take anything away from them. Last year, when we toured Bangladesh, we knew what a good Test side Bangladesh is. They have got a lot of experience in Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan and they have also got some good young talent.”
“Difficult to beat [Pakistan] 10 years ago”
Ashwin continued with details about the strength of Pakistan Test teams a decade ago on his YouTube channel:
“Keeping all this aside, to see where Pakistan cricket where it is now… It was difficult to beat them even 10 years ago when Misbah, Younis Khan were there and they played their home matches in the UAE. You had the likes of Yasir Shah, you had two left-arm spinners in Adbur Rahman and Zulfiqar Babar coming in. Where they (Pakistan team) are right now, I can’t believe it,” Ashwin concluded.
What Could Be Responsible for Pakistan’s Cricket Crisis
Administrative problems
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has had to make seismic changes to their structure in the last ten months.
Team Pakistan’s exit from the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 sparked several calls for a complete team overhaul. Players stepped down from top roles within the team and many top PCB officials left their positions. Instability within Pakistan’s cricket governing body can have a negative effect on player morale and their on-pitch performance.
PCB-induced conflict within players
The emergence of Mohsin Naqvi as PCB chair has not produced desired results according to set standards. Naqvi’s tenure isn’t up to a year, but the team has never looked so disjointed in recent times. The PCB chair’s preference for in-team meddling and seemingly autocratic decisions has not favoured the cricket team.
