Pakistan cricket has gone through a difficult period in the past three years, with some disappointing performances across formats. Defeats in international tournaments and bilateral series have raised questions about the team’s consistency and direction.
The challenging period started in 2023. Pakistan suffered a defeat against Afghanistan in Chennai in the ODI World Cup. This was a team who learnt the art of the game from Pakistan.
Two more shocks in different formats followed. The United States, a qualifier team and considered minnows, handed Pakistan a defeat in the Twenty20 World Cup in June of 2024.
It pushed Pakistan out of the event in the first round. Just two months later, Pakistan’s Test team was baffled by Bangladesh. A 2-0 defeat on home grounds further pushed us towards the nadir.
The 2025 saw Pakistan hosting the Champions Trophy – their first global event in 29 years. While the arrangements, doubted by the world with India at its front, were impeccable and received the biggest audience for a major cricketing event, the on-field show by the green shirts were abysmal.
Pakistan crashed out in the first round.
The year 2026 wasn’t different. Pakistan managed to reach the Super Eight in the T20 World Cup, but only won against minnows like the USA, the Netherlands and Namibia, but lost to India and Sri Lanka. No semi-final yet again.
As if these jolts were not enough, Pakistan suffered another 2-0 series humiliation in Bangladesh. This was a country where Pakistan had never lost a Test, let alone a series.
The national team looked clueless in all three departments of the game against a resurgent Bangladesh. The primitive factor, able captaincy, was also missing.
So much so that, apart from defeat, the captain, Shan Masood, failed to handle the over-rate and as a result Pakistan was docked eight points. The parsimonious collection of just 12 points in the World Test Championship was reduced to just four.
The Bangladesh defeat has left Pakistan cricket not only in a state of shock but also in a crisis situation. But those who have been noticing the “Fault lines” know that it was coming.
The defeats were seminal, but we were hiding them like an ostrich burying its head in sand to avoid facing a dangerous situation. The slump is gradual, but at every level it was imminent.
Pakistan have not won an International Cricket Council (ICC) Under-19 World Cup since 2006! That proves the frailties at a junior level. The showings at the senior level aren’t either praiseworthy.
The Pakistan team has failed to qualify for an ODI World Cup semi-final since 2011, crashing out in the first rounds in 2019 and 2023, while they reached the quarter-finals in 2015.
The only bright points are winning the Champions Trophy in 2017 and reaching the semi-final in the 2021 T20 World Cup and final a year later.
Not only the fans, who are always emotional and give instant reactions, but also former players are hurt. “This is the lowest point in our cricket,” deplores former captain Wasim Akram.
“I was so disappointed to see Pakistan’s fast bowlers bowling at a mediocre pace while Bangladeshi bowlers were superior in speed. This is a new and sad thing for me.”
It is not that teams have not suffered such a free fall. The now indomitable Australian team suffered such a calamitous fall, and their then captain, Kim Hughes, sobbed during a press conference in 1984 after a series of humiliating defeats. Australia addressed their problems and became a top team in all three formats.
It is now the duty of the Pakistan Cricket Board to solve problems and stem the root cause of these failures.
The international department should have a section under the banner of “Test cricket care” with stalwarts like Younis Khan and Inzamam-ul-Haq working as advisers.
Pakistan’s most successful Test captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, is already working with the Board. The trio must find ways to improve our Test team.
Sultan of swing Wasim Akram, express pacer Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami should be hired to unearth fast bowlers with 140-150 kph speed because it is requisite for a Test team.
PCB should also keep a squad of 20-25 players who should only play red-ball cricket. They should be given more money than they are currently earning.
Pakistan’s Test skipper Shan Masood is in the “D” category which is humiliating. Pakistan’s two skilled Test bowlers, Mohammad Abbas and Khurram Shahzad, are also in the “D” category. Since they are Test-only players, they deserve more money and care.
Cricket has become Pakistan’s number one sport, the country’s identity internationally, and it is followed by millions.
The recent slump has disheartened the fans. We need to reignite their interest with whole-hearted efforts.
