Pakistan team becomes victim of stubbornness and ego of management, selectors and Pakistan Cricket Board officials, a local private TV reports
LAHORE: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Feb 24th, 2025) The main reason behind Pakistan cricket team’s worst performance in an important match of ICC Champions Trophy 2025 against India at Dubai cricket ground surfaced.
Pakistan team became victim of stubbornness and ego of management, selectors and the Pakistan Cricket board officials, a local private tv reported.
Shaheen Afridi was made captain in place of Babar Azam in 2023 but after five matches, Babar was reinstated as captain. In September, he stepped down and Rizwan became captain.
The team won series against Australia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe but there was a lack of consistency and professionalism in the team. In the T20 World Cup, Pakistan lost to the United States. Despite every team having two spinners, the selectors did not include any spinners alongside Abrar. They did not include Usman, Irfan and Abbas Afridi in the squad.
The story took an important turn when Babar Azam was removed as captain in 2023, and Shaheen Afridi was appointed. After five matches, Babar was made captain again. When the losing streak continued, Babar Azam stepped down as captain in September.
Mohammad Rizwan did become captain but he couldn’t lead the team to victory.
In 2024, after Pakistan's defeat to the US, former Test fast bowler Wahab Riaz was quietly given a position and placed at the PCB headquarters.
In six months, two foreign coaches, Gary Kristen and Jason Gillespie, resigned in frustration. The current head coach, Aqib Javed, was appointed on an interim basis.
In the last six months, the Bangladesh team whitewashed Pakistan in a Test series in Pakistan. The Pakistani team kept losing to weaker teams like the United States, Ireland, and Zimbabwe.
The Pakistani team failed in the World Cup in India, the T20 World Cup in the US, and now in the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan and Dubai, failing to qualify for the next stage. In the T20 World Cup, the United States surprisingly defeated Pakistan. India defeated Pakistan in all three ICC events.
Famous Pakistani cricketers and expert selectors advised that another spinner should be included alongside Abrar Ahmed. Every team has more than one spinner.
Despite the presence of Shadab Khan, Osama Mir, Sufiyan Maqeem, and Faisal Akram, the selectors did not include another spinner in the team.
Fast bowlers Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf were considered the most dangerous bowling attack in the world, but all three failed to meet expectations.
The fast bowlers were rested for the Test series so that they could come refreshed for the ODIs, but in the tri-nation tournament and the ICC Champions Trophy, the fast bowlers didn’t deliver the expected magical performances. Babar Azam is considered one of the world’s top batsmen, but his bat has remained silent.
Usman Khan was kept with the team for the last 9 matches but was never played; despite this, he made it to the Champions Trophy team.
The talented players like Irfan Khan Niazi and Abbas Afridi couldn’t meet the selection criteria for the Pakistani cricket team.
