Pakistan Cricket in Crisis! What’s Behind the Downfall of a Once-Great Team?

Pakistan Cricket Team, once a powerhouse in world cricket, now struggles to make an impact on the global stage. A team that once instilled fear in opponents, produced legendary players like Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Younis Khan, and won major ICC titles, is now finding it difficult to even qualify for the knockout stages of major tournaments.

From winning the 1992 Cricket World Cup, the 2009 T20 World Cup, the ICC Test Mace in 2016, and the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy to now suffering early exits in ICC events, Pakistan's decline is a concerning reality.

As recently as 2021 and 2022, Pakistan was still a force to be reckoned with, reaching the semifinals of the 2021 T20 World Cup and finishing as runners-up in the 2022 edition.

However, things took a turn for the worse soon after. Frequent administrative changes in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have led to inconsistency in policies, disrupting team stability. Ramiz Raja, the former PCB Chairman, was replaced by Najam Sethi in 2022, who was later succeeded by Zaka Ashraf in 2023, and now Mohsin Naqvi holds the position. Each chairman brought in their plans, causing confusion and a lack of continuity in the system.

Pakistan’s struggles became evident in the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they failed to advance beyond the group stage. This failure led to the dismissal of Mickey Arthur and Grant Bradburn from their coaching roles, with former cricketer Mohammad Hafeez stepping in as team director.

Captaincy changes followed, with Babar Azam stepping down, Fast Bowler Shaheen Afridi taking charge of the white-ball team, and Shan Masood being appointed as Test captain. However, the changes did little to reverse Pakistan’s fortunes, as they suffered a humiliating Test series whitewash in Australia and lost the T20I series 4-1 to New Zealand.

With Naqvi taking charge as PCB chairman, another overhaul was introduced. Babar was reinstated as white-ball captain, while foreign coaches Australia's Jason Gillespie (Test) and Gary Kirsten from South Africa (white-ball) were appointed, alongside Azhar Mahmood as an assistant coach.

The return of retired players Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim for the 2024 T20 World Cup was meant to add experience, but it only highlighted Pakistan’s deeper issues. The tournament turned into a nightmare, as Pakistan lost to the USA and failed to chase 120 runs against India and got knocked out in the first round. These performances raised serious questions about the team’s structure and decision-making.

USA Team Celebrating a wicket against Pakistan In T20 World Cup 2024

Following the disastrous World Cup campaign, Babar once again stepped down from captaincy, with Mohammad Rizwan taking over. Kirsten resigned from his role in October 2024, and Gillespie, who had been an interim white-ball coach during a successful Australia tour where Pakistan secured a historic 2-1 series win in ODI after 22 years in Australia, also stepped away from his Test coaching role later in the year.

Chief selector Aaqib Javed was then given additional responsibility as head coach of all formats. Pakistan showed glimpses of resurgence, whitewashing South Africa 3-0 in an ODI series on their home soil. This provided fans with hope ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the first ICC event hosted by Pakistan since 1996.

However, their campaign turned into a disaster. Despite being the host nation and defending champions, Pakistan suffered crushing defeats to New Zealand and India, becoming the first team to be eliminated from the tournament.

The question now remains: what is the real reason behind Pakistan’s downfall? Is it the continuous changes in PCB leadership, lack of emerging talent, poor team selection, or a combination of all these factors?

Whatever the reason, Pakistan Cricket is at a crossroads, and unless long-term stability is established, the legacy of this once-great team could continue to fade.