Written by: Waseem Abbas
Posted on: March 06, 2025 | 
Pakistan Cricket Team. (L to R) Salman Ali Agha, Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Khushdil Shah and Muhammad Rizwan.
Pakistan exited an ICC mega-event in the group stage for three consecutive years: the ODI World Cup in 2023, the T20 World Cup in 2024 and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025. What is more shambolic is the recurring pattern in which Pakistan lost crucial matches in pressure situations, primarily due to an inability to handle pressure. It is alarming that Pakistan suffered defeats against Zimbabwe in the 2022 T20 World Cup, Afghanistan in the 2023 ODI World Cup, and the United States of America in the 2024 T20 World Cup. A team once renowned for its fearless approach has now been reduced to a side that crumbles under pressure, earning the label of ‘chokers’. What are the possible reasons for this failure: a lack of talent, as some former cricketers blabber, disunity within the team, as propagated by ex-lobbyist players on television, systemic failure, as suggested by some cricket experts, or a combination of all these factors?
Identifying the reasons behind these failures is no rocket science; it merely requires an analysis of the repeated patterns in decision-making and the ostensible ‘surgeries’ Pakistan undergoes after each early exit from ICC events. Under the guise of overhauling a system in decay, those in charge at the PCB make populist decisions to appease cricket aficionados. Let’s begin with the consistency, or lack thereof, in selection and administrative decisions.
Starting at the top, the position of PCB chairman has been treated as a political reward rather than a strategic appointment. Since Ehsan Mani stepped down in August 2021, Pakistan has had four PCB chiefs: Ramiz Raja, Najam Sethi, Zaka Ashraf and the incumbent, Mohsin Naqvi. Osman Samiuddin, writing for ESPN Cricinfo, aptly describes this instability: “It's tempting to see this as a kind of limbo dance line, each successor lower than the last, but once the bar gets this low, it doesn't really matter.” As a politically appointed role, the PCB chairmanship brings with it new sets of coaches, selectors, captains, and players, creating an endless cycle of disruption.
Zaka Ashraf, Mohsin Naqvi, Najam Sethi and Ramiz Raja pose for a picture during the opening ceremony of the Champions Trophy at Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
A change in PCB chairman or a defeat in an ICC event often triggers an overhaul of the coaching staff and selection committee, with each new regime vowing to revolutionize the game. Since 2021, Pakistan has had 10 head coaches: Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Abdul Rehman, Grant Bradburn, Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Mehmood, Gary Kirsten, Jason Gillespie, Aaqib Javed and now, once again, Saqlain Mushtaq. In contrast, Australia, the reigning world champions, has had only one head coach, Andrew McDonald, since February 2022. Similarly, the position of Chief Selector has been another revolving door. Since 2022, Pakistan has cycled through five Chief Selectors: Mohammad Waseem, Shahid Afridi, Haroon Rasheed, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Wahab Riaz. By contrast, Australia has had only five chief selectors since 1996, with George Bailey serving since 2022, while India has retained Ajit Agarkar since 2023. This musical chair approach leads to haphazard team selections and questionable leadership decisions.
Chairman PCB, Mohsin Naqvi, with his selection committee. (L to R) Asad Shafiq, Wahab Riaz, Mohsin Naqvi, Muhammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq.
Now, consider the instability in captaincy. Babar Azam was replaced by Shaheen Afridi as T20 captain in November 2023, only for Afridi to be sacked after a single series, reinstating Babar. Shadab Khan briefly served as interim captain in March 2023 before handing the reins back to Babar. After Pakistan’s disastrous 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, Babar resigned, and Mohammad Rizwan was appointed white-ball captain. However, following another failure in the Champions Trophy, Rizwan was stripped of the T20 captaincy in favor of Salman Ali Agha. Strangely, Shadab, who was dropped due to poor form, is now set to return as Vice-Captain without any noteworthy performances. Rizwan did not deserve a T20 spot at the time of his appointment, and Agha does not deserve one now. Different names, but the same chaotic pattern. Similarly, the 35-year-old Shan Masood, averaging around 30 after 40 Test matches, remains the Test captain despite a lackluster record.
Saud Shakeel and Muhammad Rizwan take a single
A common rhetoric suggests that Pakistan relies too much on a few established players and does not experiment with new talent, which is misleading. In reality, Pakistan experiments excessively, lacks consistency, and fails to provide young players with sustained opportunities to establish themselves, primarily due to abrupt administrative changes. Since August 2021, Pakistan has fielded 70 different cricketers across formats, the joint highest in the world alongside India and West Indies. However, India strategically rotates its squad, testing bench strength against weaker teams, while managing multiple series simultaneously. Moreover, India has played over 50 more matches than Pakistan in this time period. West Indies, on the other hand, is forced to experiment due to the unavailability of key players engaged in franchise leagues. Pakistan’s 70-player rotation, however, is a direct result of appointing eight different chief selectors and approximately 30 selectors in that period.
There is no fixed selection criterion or systematic approach in Pakistan cricket. Consider the squad selections for the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy and the upcoming New Zealand series—both exposing inconsistencies. Babar Azam, the only Pakistani in the ICC T20 Team of the Year 2024, has been dropped from the T20 squad alongside former captain Mohammad Rizwan and Naseem Shah. Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf have been omitted from the ODI squad. Other puzzling exclusions include Usman Khan, Kamran Ghulam and Saud Shakeel. Usman was selected as a backup wicketkeeper-batter for the Champions Trophy but is now dropped without getting a single game. This has happened with him before as well, getting dropped without playing a game. Similarly, Saud, recalled for the Champions Trophy after a two-year absence, has been dropped again. Meanwhile, Abdullah Shafiq, who was omitted for the tournament, has been reinstated without any domestic performances. The inclusions of Irfan Niazi, Sufiyan Muqeem and Wasim Jr. are equally perplexing, as was their initial exclusion. Pakistan, having picked just one spinner for the Champions Trophy despite home conditions favoring spin, has now opted for two spinners on the New Zealand tour, where pitches traditionally favor fast bowlers. The clownery of the management knows no bounds. Among the new selections, Akif Javed and Mohammad Ali stand out, the former picked primarily for his T20 performances, and the latter for his consistency across formats. These constant shifts highlight the inconsistency in selection policies, and history suggests that these "new plans" will not last.
Salman Agha, Shadab Khan and Irfan Niazi
The T20 squad for the New Zealand series further exposes the systemic flaws. Despite Pakistan’s stated commitment to aggressive, modern cricket, their selections contradict this vision. Salman Ali Agha, appointed T20 captain based on his ODI form, does not merit a place in the T20 squad. If he and Shadab Khan bat in the top order, the justification for dropping Rizwan and Babar, lack of power-hitting, becomes invalid. Similarly, Omair Yousuf, another selection, is not suited for T20 cricket at present. Dropping Babar appears to be a move to pacify the masses, a long-standing trick of Pakistani management.
Hasan Nawaz plays a shot while Rizwan is behind the stumps
Other selections raise eyebrows as well. Youngster Hassan Nawaz and Abdul Samad, who is yet to play in the PSL, they both lack strong performances to back their inclusion. They are known for their striking ability, but whether they will be given a fair run or discarded after one bad series remains to be seen. Meanwhile, players better suited to modern cricket, such as Haider Ali, who has been in consistent form, continue to be overlooked.
Pakistan cricket’s woes are not solely administrative; the players often crumble under pressure and lack the athleticism that defines other top teams. In the last couple of years, Pakistan’s fielding has been abysmal, to say the least, whereas teams like India and New Zealand turn matches in their favor with exceptional fielding efforts. Players such as Glenn Phillips, Glenn Maxwell, and Virat Kohli take stunning catches, while Pakistani players frequently drop straightforward ones. This was evident in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
Muhammad Rizwan with Rohit Sharma during the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy
Additionally, Pakistani players seem to struggle with deep-seated psychological fears, largely stemming from inconsistent selections. As a result, they often play for individual survival rather than for the team, with little sign of unity or strategic planning. In contrast, India’s captain Rohit Sharma has transformed his approach to suit the team’s needs. While he was once known for anchoring the innings as an opener, his leadership has seen him adopt a more aggressive style. His quickfire starts set the tone for the innings, allowing players like Kohli, Iyer, and Rahul to stabilize the middle order before Hardik, Jadeja, and Axar finish strong.
Since assuming full-time captaincy in February 2022, Rohit has maintained a scintillating strike rate of 118.15, significantly higher than his pre-2022 rate of 88.90. Before his aggressive shift, he had scored 29 ODI centuries in 227 innings, averaging a century every 7.8 innings. However, with his newfound attacking approach, he has managed just three centuries in 45 innings, averaging 15 innings per hundred. Despite the dip in personal milestones, his selfless approach and bold captaincy have led to remarkable success, with India reaching the finals of the 2023 ICC Test Championship, the 2023 ODI World Cup, the 2024 T20 World Cup, and now the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
In contrast, Pakistani players tend to retreat into a defensive shell due to selfish mindset after losing a wicket, playing too many dot balls and creating unnecessary pressure for the incoming batters. Their psychological fragility further hampers their ability to finish games in high-pressure situations. If Pakistan is to match the athleticism and selfless mindset of top teams, players must be given consistent opportunities, confidence and unwavering support.
Successful team building requires consistency in selection, clear role definitions, and unwavering support from management, elements sorely lacking in Pakistan cricket. If the administration corrects its course and backs players long-term, Pakistan can bounce back. England, after its humiliating 2015 ODI World Cup exit, identified the right talents, gave them the freedom to express themselves and provided consistent opportunities. Four years later, they won the 2019 World Cup with the same core group of players.
Pakistan must identify the right players for each format, back them for the long haul, and, most importantly, appoint competent individuals at the helm. Otherwise, Pakistan cricket will continue its cycle of "surgical overhauls" after every ICC event exit.
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