2025 - A dismal year for Pakistan senior team, but will things improve in 2026?

[Ball Blazer]

Pakistan Men's senior team's struggles in 2025:

https://twitter.com/x/status/2005965554289451348

 

[Rana]

The T20i side has been quite decent

We’ve found a formula. Remove them and see what happens.

This is the way to improve.

 

[Ball Blazer]

Pakistan Men's senior team's struggles in 2025:

https://twitter.com/x/status/2005965554289451348

Pakistan’s men’s senior team endured a bruising 2025, finishing bottom of the World Test Championship, exiting the Champions Trophy at the foot of their group, and suffering historic lows, including a home Test defeat to West Indies after 34 years. Series losses piled up across formats against New Zealand, South Africa, Bangladesh and West Indies, alongside a clean sweep of defeats in three matches against India.

For Pakistan’s men’s senior team, 2025 felt like a long season of missed chances and mounting frustrations, with struggles across formats and a string of losses at home and abroad. From historic defeats to familiar rivals to underwhelming tournament exits, it was a year that raised serious questions about direction, confidence and consistency.

How do you see them performing in 2026?

 

[Devadwal]

The T20i side has been quite decent

We’ve found a formula. Remove them and see what happens.

This is the way to improve.

Yes, Farhan hit a six, that's the formula for success, no matter what the end result will be.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I wouldn't bet on it

 

[Rana]

Overall a great year considering the humbling of the two T20 (and white ball in general) frauds Babar+Rizwan


Excellent!

Thank you 2025!

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

The T20i side has been quite decent

We’ve found a formula. Remove them and see what happens.

This is the way to improve.

They've only beaten weak teams or second string sides of major teams

 

[Rana]

They've only beaten weak teams or second string sides of major teams

Do I honestly care?

 

[RizwanT20Champ]

They've only beaten weak teams or second string sides of major teams

This is the point we forget. Some are doing bhangra over reaching finals of Asia Cup like @SULTAN when we lost 3-0 to our arch rivals including the final and came close to losing to Bangladesh as well. We are basically doing bhagra over beating Afghanistan, UAE and Oman. This is how low our standards have fallen. Farhan hits 2 chikkay and SR 115 and he is the new Viv Richards according to some like @Farabi

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Do I honestly care?

Clearly you do since you think they were decent this year, which they were not. They are probably one of the worst T20 sides in the world right now

 

[Rana]

Clearly you do since you think they were decent this year, which they were not. They are probably one of the worst T20 sides in the world right now

What’s Pakistan’s w/l record since Hesson took over?

 

[Deewana Mastana]

What’s Pakistan’s w/l record since Hesson took over?

Pak won 9 out of 13 T20Is since Hesson became coach.

White-washed Bangladesh 3–0 at home.
Then lost the Bangladesh series 2–1 away.
Pakistan won 2–1 against West Indies in Florida.

 

[Rana]

Pak won 9 out of 13 T20Is since Hesson became coach.

White-washed Bangladesh 3–0 at home.
Then lost the Bangladesh series 2–1 away.
Pakistan won 2–1 against West Indies in Florida.

That was the end of the year?

 

[Deewana Mastana]

What’s Pakistan’s w/l record since Hesson took over?

Pak won 9 out of 13 T20Is since Hesson became coach.

White-washed Bangladesh 3–0 at home.

West Indies 2–1.

Then lost the Bangladesh series 2–1 away.

Won 2–1 against West Indies in Florida.

Tri-series with Afg and UAE, lost only once to Afg in the group stage before beating Afghanistan in the final.

 

[Rana]

Pak won 9 out of 13 T20Is since Hesson became coach.

White-washed Bangladesh 3–0 at home.

West Indies 2–1.

Then lost the Bangladesh series 2–1 away.

Won 2–1 against West Indies in Florida.

Tri-series with Afg and UAE, lost only once to Afg in the group stage before beating Afghanistan in the final.

Ok…the year ended after tri series?

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

This is the point we forget. Some are doing bhangra over reaching finals of Asia Cup like @SULTAN when we lost 3-0 to our arch rivals including the final and came close to losing to Bangladesh as well. We are basically doing bhagra over beating Afghanistan, UAE and Oman. This is how low our standards have fallen. Farhan hits 2 chikkay and SR 115 and he is the new Viv Richards according to some like @Farabi

Yeah but it still beats going back to the old style that Pakistan was playing which is clearly very outdated and led to us getting embarrassed in the last T20 World Cup.

Farhan has done okay and done great for Pakistani standards. He has struck at 140 in the last 10 matches and 133 this year, and the average is in excess of 30 too. He lacks the ability to rotate strike but he still has a higher ceiling for T20 than any of the other batsmen in that team.

 

[jnaveen1980]

ICC ranking on december 31st, 2024 vs ICC ranking on december 31st, 2025 will be a good indication where they are.

December 22nd, 2024

Pakistan Test ranking 7
Paksitan ODI ranking 3
Pakistan T20I ranking 7

December 22nd, 2025

Pakistan Test ranking 7
Pakistan ODI ranking 4
Pakistan T20I ranking 7


So they are essentially at the same spot.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

What’s Pakistan’s w/l record since Hesson took over?

If you are happy about Pakistan dominating minnows then you are more than welcome to be happy about that, but some of us prefer to live in reality.

Pakistan had three important T20I matches this year, and they lost them all in three straight weeks. That is the only thing people remember at the end of the year, not how well they played against UAE or Bangladesh.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Clearly you do since you think they were decent this year, which they were not. They are probably one of the worst T20 sides in the world right now

They are much better off than they were in 2024.

At least this team won't be losing to USA/ZIM/Ireland etc.

 

[the Great Khan]

Absolute rubbish. And it won't get better. The problems are too deep. We will do well to get above 7th.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

ICC ranking on december 31st, 2024 vs ICC ranking on december 31st, 2025 will be a good indication where they are.

December 22nd, 2024

Pakistan Test ranking 7
Paksitan ODI ranking 3
Pakistan T20I ranking 7

December 22nd, 2025

Pakistan Test ranking 7
Pakistan ODI ranking 4
Pakistan T20I ranking 7


So they are essentially at the same spot.

No doubt in my mind now, it was another pretty mediocre year for the senior side.

 

[jnaveen1980]

They are much better off than they were in 2024.

At least this team won't be losing to USA/ZIM/Ireland etc.

That is a pretty low bar. Having said that there is no guarantee this team would do well against that USA team which was pretty good in their own turf. They even gave INdia a run for money until we close out.

 

[jnaveen1980]

No doubt in my mind now, it was another pretty mediocre year for the senior side.

Rankings are calculated based on strengths of oppositions. THey just don't go by win losses blindly. If you beat Omen you hardly get any points as they are much lower ranked side.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

That is a pretty low bar. Having said that there is no guarantee this team would do well against that USA team which was pretty good in their own turf. They even gave INdia a run for money until we close out.

They don't have the team to compete with India/ENG/Australia on flat decks.

But these SL decks may not be that flat and they will likely be in a Super 8 group with England , NZ and Lanka.

They really only need to beat one of England/NZ and they can make the semis

 

[jnaveen1980]

They don't have the team to compete with India/ENG/Australia on flat decks.

But these SL decks may not be that flat and they will likely be in a Super 8 group with England , NZ and Lanka.

They really only need to beat one of England/NZ and they can make the semis

Yea obviously. Asian conditions will suit Asian teams more.

 

[Major]

I dont know how to look at it.

Pre 2015, winning series were good enough, but now limited over series dont hold any value and its just icc and acc tournaments that matter.

Overall pakistan has been bad due to the selection of players in the squad and playing 11. Ct was a blunder, where they forgot they had spinners and walking into 2026 we are carrying shadab in, meaning that we still havent learned from our own mistakes.

Asia cup, we for some reason dint play Salman Mirza, keep trusting Rauf who is garbage against good sides. Than we are still waiting for Naseem Shah to do something. Rumors are he is still bowling wide on the offside.

Batting is garbage, year start there was soo much hype about Hassan Nawaz, and he looks rubbish. Usman khan is still rubbish.

More rubbish players have been bought back like Abdul Samad and Khawaja Nafay.

Test cricket, Shan Masood needs to be sacked. Misbah should be bought in as the test coach and he needs to bring in a captain who he thinks can lead in test.

Also, Rizwan needs to be jailed in Australia for preaching religion while on a cricket job

 

[jnaveen1980]

Players in top 10 2024 vs 205

Test batting - 2025 None, 2024 Saud Shakeel
ODI batting - 2025 Babar, 2024 Babar
T20 batting - 2025 Farhan, 2024 Babar, Rizwan
Test bowling - 2025 Noman Ali, 2024 Noman Ali
ODI bowling - 2025 Abrar, 2024 Shaheen
T20 bowling - 2025 Abrar, 2024 None
Test AR - 2025 None, 2024 None
ODI AR - 2025 None, 2024 None
T20 AR - 2025 Saim, M Nawaz, 2024 None


Overall Abrar, M. Nawaz the all rounder, Ayub the bowler are the positives for them

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

They are much better off than they were in 2024.

At least this team won't be losing to USA/ZIM/Ireland etc.

No denying that. They have to move forward and can't go back to playing that old style. But at the same time, we should still acknowledge that it is not a good team that still has alot to figure out. I mean the very fact that we have to say that 'atleast they won't lose to XYZ minnow' says alot about how far Pakistan's T20 cricket has fallen in the past 3 years. Being able to beat associates/minnows shouldn't even be a question..

 

[gibsyhesperis]

Pakistan are a mediocre side and have been for some time.
A couple of changes in personnel will make little difference to that (despite what some more excitable posters think).
The problems are deep rooted and structural, with the distance from the Big3 as wide as it has ever been.

Expectations should be low for 2026.

 

[Devadwal]

They are much better off than they were in 2024.

At least this team won't be losing to USA/ZIM/Ireland etc.

T20 World Cup is going to prove you wrong. Wait and watch.

BTw this is very low standards like a minnow team's.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Pakistan are a mediocre side and have been for some time.
A couple of changes in personnel will make little difference to that (despite what some more excitable posters think).
The problems are deep rooted and structural, with the distance from the Big3 as wide as it has ever been.

Expectations should be low for 2026.

Yet your younger players continue to lose to our youth teams.

Honestly, shameful.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

T20 side should persist with trying new players. If Agha fails in the WC then dump him and bring in a young skipper.

Test side will go round in circles in 2026 as they did in 2025. Might win one or two games on a spinning track and then lose one or two too.

 

[Deewana Mastana]

For me the worrying sign in 2025 was the gap between potential and execution. Pakistan still has talented players, but talent alone doesn’t win at international level. Fitness, game awareness, and adaptability especially away from home were missing. Against stronger teams, they mostly looked miles behind in planning and intent.

As for 2026, what I would like to see is just honesty and progress. A settled team, consistent selection, better fitness, smarter use of data and players chosen on form. Even losses are easier to accept when there’s a plan and visible improvement.

A number of young players are knocking on the door, and the domestic circuit continues to produce talent. If Pakistan can finally commit to a clear selection policy, back players for longer periods, and reward form instead of reputation, results can improve.

For now, I wait. And like always, I hope.

 

[gibsyhesperis]

Yet your younger players continue to lose to our youth teams.

Honestly, shameful.

I don’t understand this
Whose younger players lose to whom ?

 

[charlie007]

ICC ranking on december 31st, 2024 vs ICC ranking on december 31st, 2025 will be a good indication where they are.

December 22nd, 2024

Pakistan Test ranking 7
Paksitan ODI ranking 3
Pakistan T20I ranking 7

December 22nd, 2025

Pakistan Test ranking 7
Pakistan ODI ranking 4
Pakistan T20I ranking 7


So they are essentially at the same spot.

I hope they slide up or down in Test or T20I ranking by the time LA Olympics come around. If you’re an American you’d be very nervous with a 747 flying toward you

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Four awful years in a row.

 

[LordJames]

Been like this for a good few years now with comedy circus in the Team, Captaincy and PCB.

Similar to how the country is running.

 

[heddie19]

What’s Pakistan’s w/l record since Hesson took over?

Way worse than W/L record in Babar's captaincy. These frauds can't even tie shoelace of Babar.

 

[jnaveen1980]

T20 World Cup is going to prove you wrong. Wait and watch.

BTw this is very low standards like a minnow team's.

In the year 2025, USA has 100% win record in UAE. THey beat UAE and Nepal comprehensively. People are under-estimating USA. ON their day they can conjure a win against any team that let their guard down.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

That is a pretty low bar. Having said that there is no guarantee this team would do well against that USA team which was pretty good in their own turf. They even gave INdia a run for money until we close out.

They have beaten Windies and South Africa under Hesson.

Yeah you can say "B" sides or whatever but this team has become somewhat like NZ used to be in many tournaments in the past, thanks to Hesson.

They will definitively beat the lower sides and given toss/conditions going their way, they can challenge some of the better sides too.

Not title contenders but not pushovers either

 

[BouncerGuy]

ICC ranking on december 31st, 2024 vs ICC ranking on december 31st, 2025 will be a good indication where they are.

December 22nd, 2024

Pakistan Test ranking 7
Paksitan ODI ranking 3
Pakistan T20I ranking 7

December 22nd, 2025

Pakistan Test ranking 7
Pakistan ODI ranking 4
Pakistan T20I ranking 7


So they are essentially at the same spot.

But but but Salman is t20 hero... He won Asia cup by kicking the problems(rizbabar) out, OH WAIT, he lost times in a row to India in same event and lost the final as well...mY bad

But but Pakistan won many games yet we are at 7th spot in t20s... No change whatsoever...

 

[the Great Khan]

Ive been watching Pakistan cricket for over forty years. There was a time when we actually had some competent administrators and a system that worked, even though it wasn't the greatest but we had club cricket and domestic cricket. Fast forward to match fixing and akram and Co who started to destroy our cricket. In 1999 aus and us were the two Premier sides. But they beat us and we went down hill. By the time we get to 2007/2008 our great leader another stupid fauji boomer put a dentist in charge of the pcb. The rest is history. We have never recovered. Its been nearly twenty years. Many of us have literally watch the decline on this forum as we watch our kids grow up. Pak cricket is done. There is no hope until we remove the PCB and govt interference. Th3 PCB should be totally independent. But the boomer uncles and now my gen who are also a bunch of corrupt so and so's cant do it. This naqvi is a good example. I wouldnt hire him to drive me around London. The man is a total incompetent. What is the pcbs strategy for the next 5 years?? The WTC gives us a 4 to 5 year block to plan. Its a natural fit to strategies. But alas..so im sorry to the youngsters. I was like you once. All passionate and arguing our case. There is nothing now. Just debris. They destroyed something we really felt passionate about.

 

[the Great Khan]

By the way you can argue for Babar or against Salman. Waht you dont understand is that it doesnt matter. Nothing changes. Its a stupid org run by stupid traitors so expect stupid outcomes.

 

[Usman Chadda]

But but but Salman is t20 hero... He won Asia cup by kicking the problems(rizbabar) out, OH WAIT, he lost times in a row to India in same event and lost the final as well...mY bad

But but Pakistan won many games yet we are at 7th spot in t20s... No change whatsoever...

We were losing to this India side with or without RizBar. India is hands down the best T20 side in the world right now and nobody else comes close, that's a fact. A mediocre side like Pakistan cannot challenge them unless they have a bad day.

Salman has won Pakistan a lot of T20s this year, that is also a fact. That is also the reason PCB could not switch captains before the T20WC, effectively sacrificing a spot in the side to a specialist captain.

We are 7th because we didn't play quality opposition and our previous points were so ridiculously low that it would take time to recover the damage that was done in 2023-24, when RizBar were playing every game for Pakistan.

 

[jnaveen1980]

They have beaten Windies and South Africa under Hesson.

Yeah you can say "B" sides or whatever but this team has become somewhat like NZ used to be in many tournaments in the past, thanks to Hesson.

They will definitively beat the lower sides and given toss/conditions going their way, they can challenge some of the better sides too.

Not title contenders but not pushovers either

Pakistan will still start as favorites. Even in wc 2024 they started as one of the favorites. But 2024 world cup had some surprises due to nature of surfaces. Afghanistan pounded atleast two teams. USA surprisingly got into next round. USA had also beaten Bangladesh in a series right before world T20. MLC has grown. Their players play in other leagues. With a bit of luck they can surprise any lower tier team.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Pakistan will still start as favorites. Even in wc 2024 they started as one of the favorites. But 2024 world cup had some surprises due to nature of surfaces. Afghanistan pounded atleast two teams. USA surprisingly got into next round. USA had also beaten Bangladesh in a series right before world T20. MLC has grown. Their players play in other leagues. With a bit of luck they can surprise any lower tier team.

Pakistan is nowhere near favorites, not sure where you are getting this from.

Every team in this World Cup has a set starting eleven in mind, while we have no idea what’s our best eleven because they are equally rubbish.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Pakistan is nowhere near favorites, not sure where you are getting this from.

Every team in this World Cup has a set starting eleven in mind, while we have no idea what’s our best eleven because they are equally rubbish.

Pakistan are rarely outirhgt favorites. They made it to final in 2022, semi final in 2021. In a league setting you just need a couple of good games to get through to next round. Either that couple of bad games for other teams.

 

[RizwanT20Champ]

Yeah but it still beats going back to the old style that Pakistan was playing which is clearly very outdated and led to us getting embarrassed in the last T20 World Cup.

Farhan has done okay and done great for Pakistani standards. He has struck at 140 in the last 10 matches and 133 this year, and the average is in excess of 30 too. He lacks the ability to rotate strike but he still has a higher ceiling for T20 than any of the other batsmen in that team.

So what was not working for Pak: Average 40, SR 130
What will work for Pak (bhangra time); Average 25, SR 128

Ok

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

So, the question isn’t how good Pakistan are currently (they’re still a massive work-in-progress), it’s if they’ll be better in 2026.

I was utterly disenchanted w/ Pakistan cricket in 2024, after that WC showing and the coaching merry-go-round. The 2025 Champions Trophy debacle further killed my passion for the team, such that I just stopped posting here.

They say it’s the hope that kills you, but it’s also the hope that keeps you going…

So, in that vein I wanted to raise *some* positives, green shoots that offer some hope, that help turnaround our fortunes inshAllah:

1) In the last year and a bit, Pakistan cricket started to even lose its traditional strengths I.e. an effective bowling unit. We became a side that was less than the sum of our parts. I think we’ve begun to regain trust and confidence in our bowling in the second part of 2025. That’s not nothing. Nawaz, Faheem, Salman Mirza, Abrar, even Saim showed something this year.

2) We’ve tried to be more progressive in our batting strategy this year, given the long run that Mo Haris and Saim were given in the side. Yes, Babar is currently in the set-up, but that seems more like a temporary band aid rather than the long term plan. Farhan was a bright spot especially.

3) Positive Player development - Until he wasn’t, I was really heartened by how we developed and brought along Hasan Nawaz. That offers me hope that we don’t fumble our other young prospects, which leads me to:

4) Positive A team and U19 developments - Aside from the encouraging Asia Cup results at this level, we now have various young prospects who we can look forward to develop Maaz, Nafay, Mohammad Naeem, Sameer Minhas as serious future batting options. We also finally have young wicket keeper options in Hamza Zahoor and Abdul Qadir, all round options in Saad Masood, Arafat Minhas, and Farhan Yousuf. Ahmed Daniyal, Ubaid Shah and the three U19 lads offer pace bowling promise too. And let’s not forget promising domestic performers in Shamyl, Saad, Shahzaib, Azaan etc. The public is ready for new blood, and I believe that the two new PSL teams and players aging out at the senior level (Babar, Fakhar etc) means we’ll see the most promising of the younger lot get extended game time in 2026.

5) Last but not least is the value of reps in high level cricket. People will rightfully point towards the disappointment of losing 3 games to India in the Asia Cup. But one thing which gets lost in that point, is that each of the games became progressively more competitive up to the final. Is that good enough in itself, absolutely not. But it shows that this team has the capacity to improve the more consistently it plays a better level of competition. So it’s now over to the PCB to ensure that we keep playing the bigger teams enough that we can fare better against them when it comes to crunch time. And that we rotate well against them such that our batsmen get used to playing a higher level of bowling.

Look, we are far from where we all want Pakistan cricket to be, but rather than feeling terrible about what we currently are, Im inshAllah hopeful of what success lies in the future.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

So what was not working for Pak: Average 40, SR 130
What will work for Pak (bhangra time); Average 25, SR 128

Ok

Which make-believe fantasy world are you living in? It's not 2022 anymore.

Rizwan's SR in 2024 (last time he played T20I) was a blazing 117.
Babar's SR since making his comeback is a whopping 114.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Even when the two great anchors were at their best between 2021-22 they couldn't win Pakistan the World Cup and failed repeatedly in ICC and Asia Cup finals. Now all that anyone really remembers are classic knocks like 44 (46), 31 (44), 15 (14), 32 (28) and the ignominy of losing to freaking USA. No prizes for guessing who played those knocks and against whom btw.

I don’t care how trash this current T20 team is - and don’t get me wrong, they are pretty trash - but at least they’re making an effort to play according to the modern demands of the game. They may not have the skill set, but I’d much rather take players who lack skills but try to improve, than those who supposedly have the skill set but are too cowardly to play with any guts or take the game on.

 

[sweep_shot]

Pakistan started off 2025 very poorly but bounced back well in the last 4-5 months.

They won 4 bilateral white ball series in a row. They won the tri-series in UAE. They went to Asia Cup final. They drew with South Africa in Test.

I think they finished off the year pretty well.

 

[sweep_shot]

Pakistan started off 2025 very poorly but bounced back well in the last 4-5 months.

They won 4 bilateral white ball series in a row. They won the tri-series in UAE. They went to Asia Cup final. They drew with South Africa in Test.

I think they finished off the year pretty well.

Since the UAE tri-series (PAK-UAE-AFG), they have done well. They picked up many series wins, drew with South Africa in Test, and reached Asia Cup final.

Before that tr-series, they did poorly.

So, it has been a mixed year. First 6 months were poor. Next 6 months were much better.

 

[zahid01]

We are par with Afghanistan Sri Lanka Bangladesh West indies then there is a world of difference India Australia South Africa England New Zealand we have no chance in the upcoming t20 world cup if Aqib javed and Mike Henson think they have a chance with this current lot then they are living in a cuckoo land we have learned nothing from the last t20 world cup

 

[Obaidd]

Since the UAE tri-series (PAK-UAE-AFG), they have done well. They picked up many series wins, drew with South Africa in Test, and reached Asia Cup final.

Before that tr-series, they did poorly.

So, it has been a mixed year. First 6 months were poor. Next 6 months were much better.

As posters have said PCB is a poorly run organisation that will continue to produce poor results. This was a crap year for pak cricket. Major disappointments were Hassan Nawaz’s no show, Saim Ayub’s all-rounder arc, Saud Shakeel’s abysmal form, and the loss in second test match vs SA.

Bobsie finally got completely exposed though and should be left out from future t20 plans. That’s one silver lining for me. Other was seeing u19 young guns do well in QEA.