Stumped by system — the real reasons behind Pakistan cricket’s decline

ISLAMABAD: ISLAMABAD: While global cricketing nations have steadly progressed and refined their game, Pakistan’s cricket course remains a puzzling abnormality — marked more by disarray than consistency. Despite moments of unexpected brilliance, like winning the World Cup or Champions Trophy, these victories often feel like outliers rather than results of sustained progress. For years, the team has been plagued by unpredictable performances, internal politics, and a glaring lack of long-term planning — making it less a story of growth and more a cautionary tale of squandered potential.

The Hum Investigates dug into the past and present of the national cricket team and spoke to experts and officials who have not only closely observed the cricketing journey of Pakistan but also held important positions in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), representing the country.

It is widely believed that politics has ruined cricket in the country. Each time the Pakistani team underperforms, the cricket board and its officials come under fire for alleged political interference. Currently, the team is almost in a state of disarray, facing heavy criticism for its poor showing in the ICC Champions Trophy.

Although Pakistan has historically been a dominant force in all three cricket formats, the squad is presently suffering from a severe drop in all three.

The PCB has long been beset by administrative instability, and political meddling frequently overshadows merit, which negatively impacts the team’s overall performance. There is also a lack of accountability within the board.

Administrative instability has long plagued the PCB, where merit is frequently sidelined by political interference — a combination that continues to take a heavy toll on the team’s overall performance. The board also suffers from a serious lack of accountability.

According to documents obtained by Hum Investigates, the PCB administration allegedly awarded contracts worth around seven billion rupees to preferred individuals. One of the companies repeatedly receives contracts from the board. On the other hand, the board is also unable to hold accountable the employees who receive millions in annual salaries.

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Experts and former players believe that domestic cricket in Pakistan has been deliberately neglected, which results in emerging talent being overlooked. In the past, departmental teams were a source of discovering new talent, but ever since departmental cricket declined, the national team has also fallen into crisis.

The Hum Investigates team tried to dig into the past and present of the national cricket team and spoke to experts and officials who have closely observed the cricketing journey of Pakistan, and who have also held important positions within the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) along with representing the country in cricket.

It is commonly said that politics has ruined our cricket. Whenever the Pakistan team performs poorly, the first finger is pointed at the cricket board and its officials, accusing them of being involved in politics. Currently, the team is going through a specific kind of disintegration, and due to its poor performance in the ICC Champions Trophy, it is facing severe criticism.

Pakistan has historically held a prominent position in all three formats of the game, but currently, the national team is rapidly declining in all formats.

Administrative instability has long been a chronic issue in the Pakistan Cricket Board. Due to political influence, merit is often overlooked, which negatively affects the team’s performance. There is a severe lack of accountability within the PCB.

According to documents obtained by Hum Investigates, the PCB administration allegedly awarded contracts worth around Rs7 billion to preferred individuals with one company repeatedly receiving contracts from the board. On the other hand, the board is also unable to hold accountable the employees who receive millions in annual salaries but fail to deliver.

Experts and former players believe that domestic cricket in Pakistan has been deliberately neglected, resulting in emerging talent being overlooked. In the past, departmental teams were a source of new talent, but ever since it has declined, the national team has also found itself in crisis.

Ahead of almost every major world cricket tournament, Pakistan is beset with crisis with the team being cobbled together hastily, their result becoming more palpable to everyone before the team enters the arena.

Former captain Majid Khan proposed a plan to revive domestic cricket emphasising that if the government and the board desired so, domestic cricket can play the same vital role as it does in England, Australia, and New Zealand. In those countries, their cricket boards never face issues in team selection because their domestic cricket systems are so strong that they consistently provide players who are ready for all types of situations, he said

Experts also believe that the standard of coaching and technical in Pakistan is weaker compared to other countries, which hinders the grooming of new talent.

They say that in terms of team selection, it has never been possible to follow a fixed framework or a consistent standard. Sometimes such surprising decisions are made in the selection of the team that leaves people wondering about the criteria.

Dr Nauman Niaz says that Pakistan has been deprived of international cricket for a long time. After the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore and the attempted attack on the New Zealand team in Karachi, international cricket virtually shut its doors on Pakistan. As a result, the national team was forced to host its matches in neutral venues like Dubai. During this time, emerging Pakistani players had limited opportunities to gain international exposure — a setback that significantly hampered the growth of cricket in the country.

With the ICC Champions Trophy taking place in Pakistan in 2025, hope rekindled that international cricket once again will be played regularly in Pakistan like in the past, and our stadiums will come alive again. Following the tours by New Zealand, England, and the West Indies, the hosting of the Champions Trophy was indeed encouraging for both Pakistan cricket and the new cricketers.

On the other hand, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) seasons have played a positive role in the development of local cricket and provided better opportunities for new players. The national team has acquired several talented players through the PSL, and cricket experts consider this a promising sign for the future of Pakistan cricket.

Abobakar Khan also contributed to the story