Has cricket lost its grip on Gen-Z in Pakistan?

Asad T

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After spending a couple of weeks in Karachi this winter, I couldn’t help but notice many Gen-Z kids I interacted with don’t seem to care much for cricket anymore. Some of them loosely follow matches, but their real passion seems to lie in football (playing it and watching it both). This shift feels stark compared to what I remember 10 years ago, when cricket was, without a doubt, the #1 sport.

Our team’s recent performances, especially in big tournaments, is probably to blame along with our boring tuk-tuk style of playing. It feels like cricket’s once-unchallenged grip on the younger generation is slipping. And I feel that if Pakistan underperforms in the upcoming Champions Trophy this trend of Gen-Z losing interest in the game will intensify.

If this trend continues, it will be detrimental to the future of cricket in Pakistan. With fewer young fans and players passionate about the game, the pipeline for developing new talent and maintaining the sport’s cultural importance will shrink over time.

Maybe I live in a bubble there, but I’m curious if you’ve noticed something similar in your friend circles or extended families?
 
Probably only Karachi. Cricket following far outnumbers football in Islamabad, Punjab and KPK among Gen Z.
 
It's the same in India. Except here they are into social media apps like Snapchat and stuff. Zero inclination to sport.

They would much rather spend a bomb at the recent Coldplay concert just to post a reel or two than get into anything productive.
 
The interest has certainly dropped over the years among the young people and there are a couple of main reasons in my opinion.
  1. There are not many grounds to play that are easy accessible for everyone. You either need to pay to use the ground or have to travel several miles to find a good place.
  2. Most of the kinds are now happy to spend their time with their gadgets and they don't want to go outside and play real sports.
On the comparison of Football and Cricket. I think Pakistan still has a far bigger audience for Cricket than Football on a whole.
 
It's the same in India. Except here they are into social media apps like Snapchat and stuff. Zero inclination to sport.

They would much rather spend a bomb at the recent Coldplay concert just to post a reel or two than get into anything productive.
IPL has more followers than Indian cricket. THere are some cricket followers (women especially) exclusively follow IPL. Test cricket has following. But mostly online and on TV. Nobody takes time to go to ground. This is why BCCI tries to host Test cricket in smaller venues. Having said that cricket will always have fans. What else we have. Nothing.
 
After spending a couple of weeks in Karachi this winter, I couldn’t help but notice many Gen-Z kids I interacted with don’t seem to care much for cricket anymore. Some of them loosely follow matches, but their real passion seems to lie in football (playing it and watching it both). This shift feels stark compared to what I remember 10 years ago, when cricket was, without a doubt, the #1 sport.

Our team’s recent performances, especially in big tournaments, is probably to blame along with our boring tuk-tuk style of playing. It feels like cricket’s once-unchallenged grip on the younger generation is slipping. And I feel that if Pakistan underperforms in the upcoming Champions Trophy this trend of Gen-Z losing interest in the game will intensify.

If this trend continues, it will be detrimental to the future of cricket in Pakistan. With fewer young fans and players passionate about the game, the pipeline for developing new talent and maintaining the sport’s cultural importance will shrink over time.

Maybe I live in a bubble there, but I’m curious if you’ve noticed something similar in your friend circles or extended families?
Personal experience is a poor way to gauge temperature. It could just be the sample of people you interacted with.
We’d need more data to reach such a big conclusion that football is overtaking/overtaken cricket. It sounds ridiculous to me.
 
Personal experience is a poor way to gauge temperature. It could just be the sample of people you interacted with.
We’d need more data to reach such a big conclusion that football is overtaking/overtaken cricket. It sounds ridiculous to me.

Yeah hence I gave a caveat that I could be living in a bubble so wanted to see if others had a similar shared experience or not
 
After spending a couple of weeks in Karachi this winter, I couldn’t help but notice many Gen-Z kids I interacted with don’t seem to care much for cricket anymore. Some of them loosely follow matches, but their real passion seems to lie in football (playing it and watching it both). This shift feels stark compared to what I remember 10 years ago, when cricket was, without a doubt, the #1 sport.

Our team’s recent performances, especially in big tournaments, is probably to blame along with our boring tuk-tuk style of playing. It feels like cricket’s once-unchallenged grip on the younger generation is slipping. And I feel that if Pakistan underperforms in the upcoming Champions Trophy this trend of Gen-Z losing interest in the game will intensify.

If this trend continues, it will be detrimental to the future of cricket in Pakistan. With fewer young fans and players passionate about the game, the pipeline for developing new talent and maintaining the sport’s cultural importance will shrink over time.

Maybe I live in a bubble there, but I’m curious if you’ve noticed something similar in your friend circles or extended families?
Gen Z is a loose term. It's from 1996 to 2012.

People my age who are still Gen Z love cricket. But my cousin who was born in 2009 and he still lives in pakistan BTW, he grew up their as well goes for football practise daily and doesn't give a damn about cricket. Not only that, he can't shut up about ronaldo and al nasser.

All my friends both internationally and from pakistan love cricket but everyone born post 2006 in my family isn't interested.

It only applies to late Gen Z imo.
 
Cricket is still a popular sport when it comes to watching in Pakistan but the recent dip in interest could be attributed to underwhelming performance of Pakistan team.
 
Ever since People started supporting and sir per charhana Chacha and Misbah.Pakistan has lost its touch…
 
Cricket is still a popular sport when it comes to watching in Pakistan but the recent dip in interest could be attributed to underwhelming performance of Pakistan team.
This. Performance of the team can impact following. As a hardcore cricket fan i took hiatus myself when India was receiving 0-4 drubbing under MSD.
 
Can't speak for Pakistanis but I rarely encounter cricket lovers in my work be it British Pakistanis or any other ethnicity. Of my friends, I'm the biggest cricket nut. They may dip in and out of World Cups.

I'm very worried about the future of cricket outside SC as a viable attraction. Older generation may pass the sport down to their kids - but creating new fans is difficult.

It's a complex, confusing, archaic sport that requires a huge time investment in a world with increasingly short attention spans. Even T20 is too long for many kids.
 
Because cricket in ODIs and tests doesn’t fit modern day world. People don’t have the time to do watch tests, nor ODIs really if they’re not on a weekend. Football conveniently is at night on weekdays and weekends so you don’t need to miss work or school to watch. Nor do they really have the attention span.

I think t20s are the future, as it’s the only format that can fit around peoples lives and even then it’s stretching it at 4 hours. But I think it needs to be given more focus to do so, and standards have to be raised in all aspects. Right now t20s are often being used to test bench strength, foreign leagues tend to be a little less serious too. There’s such a higher ceiling for t20s to reach and far more skill to be obtained. Can be seen in baseball where there are genuine insane level athletes, with power and fielding that isn’t quite there in cricket yet.

Not to mention t20s are also more profitable and in some cases bank rolling the other two formats. I also think t20 s quality suffers because attention is being split over all three formats.

Test cricket in particular it feels standard has dropped significantly in the last few decades. Even the talented players these days focus more on the shorter formats, and many instances our less talented players play tests as a result (particularly bowlers). It is in theory the highest skill expression format in cricket, but if we are being realistic, making cricketers prioritise tests over other formats just doesn’t seem likely anymore.

I still like all three formats. But I really think it’s most important to grab the youths attention to the sport. Otherwise cricket will just die. There will be no point preserving cricket in its purest form when decades or centuries from now no one watches it anymore.
 
Yeah hence I gave a caveat that I could be living in a bubble so wanted to see if others had a similar shared experience or not
You definitely are. Cricket is still huge in Pakistan. Overseas Pakistanis tend to make sweeping statements quite often after their yearly week long trip to Pakistan.

It’s better if you come, enjoy the food, see your family and let the country run the way it is instead of sweeping statements about the state of things. If you care so much, move back.
 
Gen Z is a loose term. It's from 1996 to 2012.

People my age who are still Gen Z love cricket. But my cousin who was born in 2009 and he still lives in pakistan BTW, he grew up their as well goes for football practise daily and doesn't give a damn about cricket. Not only that, he can't shut up about ronaldo and al nasser.

All my friends both internationally and from pakistan love cricket but everyone born post 2006 in my family isn't interested.

It only applies to late Gen Z imo.
Yeah lmao, true that. Half of the team is Gen Z currently LMAO. Saim, Shaheen, Naseem, Abdullah, Hasnain, Sufiyan Muqeem etc etc
 
You definitely are. Cricket is still huge in Pakistan. Overseas Pakistanis tend to make sweeping statements quite often after their yearly week long trip to Pakistan.

It’s better if you come, enjoy the food, see your family and let the country run the way it is instead of sweeping statements about the state of things. If you care so much, move back.
Relax man, everyone is entitled to their opinion. If you disagree than make your point across instead of giving directives.
 
Just because people don't express it on social media doesn't mean they don't follow cricket. Cricket is avidly followed. Even Women's cricket always have sizable crowd in India. It is comical when someone says "We don't have time in modern world" lol what the hell are you doing different in "modern world" other than watching Netflix series or movies or playing games on playstation. If you love the sports you watch it. If you love sports you will make time. It is applicable for all sports. Tests are probably not well attended in many countries. THey are still followed.
 
Can't speak for Pakistanis but I rarely encounter cricket lovers in my work be it British Pakistanis or any other ethnicity. Of my friends, I'm the biggest cricket nut. They may dip in and out of World Cups.

I'm very worried about the future of cricket outside SC as a viable attraction. Older generation may pass the sport down to their kids - but creating new fans is difficult.

It's a complex, confusing, archaic sport that requires a huge time investment in a world with increasingly short attention spans. Even T20 is too long for many kids.
Test cricket might be losing its popularity in most parts of the World but T20 cricket is growing all the time.
 
I could write an essay on this topic.

Cricket in Pakistan once held the kind of cultural significance that made it more than just a sport. It was a unifying phenomenon. Having lived in both Pakistan and India, I’ve seen firsthand how cricket captivates these countries. While India still maintains a vibrant cricket culture, Pakistan’s enthusiasm seems to have waned, especially among Gen Z. Let me explain.
As a child in Rawalpindi, cricket matches were festive occasions. Matches were broadcast on TV, and even if people didn’t watch the entire game, they would frequently check the score. The phrase "Yar, score kya chal raha hai?" echoed everywhere at yogurt shops, in neighborhoods, and during casual conversations. Cricket was an omnipresent thread in our daily lives. The yogurt shop in my mohallah had a very sketchy small tv but people would be glued to it when there was a match

I remember there was a series that Pakistan won against India (was it the 2005 series?) and the govt gave such a big reception that they had a parade where each player stood out of an SUV and the fans got to see them. I dont remember if this happened in Karachi or Islamabad. Even when George Bush came to Islamabad, they got him to play cricket and there were some iconic pics taken and shared.

From 2005 to 2008, cricket in Pakistan was at its peak. It wasn’t just a sport—it was a way of life. People would gather in markets or at community spots to catch glimpses of the matches. Every victory felt like a collective achievement for the nation.

In India, cricket’s pull was even more pronounced. During the 2005-2008 period in Pakistan, I witnessed similar excitement in India. Even in 2012, when I visited India, the cultural significance of cricket was undeniable. Markets would come to a standstill during matches, with large crowds including women would gather around TVs in public spaces. Cricket was and continues to be a cultural juggernaut there (this is based on what i saw there in 2012).

Cricket's Decline in Pakistan post 2013
In Pakistan, however, the scenario changed post-2013. Cricket began to be viewed as a paindu sport. Watching or playing cricket was seen as uncool, and fans were often stereotyped as having too much free time. Meanwhile, football gained traction as a "cool" alternative, with young people proudly associating themselves with global clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool, or Barcelona.

This shift wasn’t just about poor cricket performance; it reflected a deeper issue, a decline in national pride. Cricket, once a symbol of nationalism, lost its appeal as Pakistan became increasingly polarized. External factors like the influence of certain Islamic ideologies and internal issues like terrorism, political instability, and a lack of unity took a toll.

However PSL did try to revive the sport

PSL was a great thing and it did revive the passion for cricket. People from KPK were wearing their Zalmi jerseys and everyone was enjoying the vibe, Karachites were crazy and the Lahoris were also trying to make an impression. PSL vibes were a success in Pakistan due to social media content that got generated. Plus the older generation had finally learned how to use Facebook and the generation that was now in their 20s they were earning money through social media content. So PSL content was getting made in the PSL months and everything was going good. I remember back in my Uni days we made plans to watch the finals together like people would do for football nowadays. Sethi had done a great job as well where he made sure that each team had a media sponsored, so the media teams started their wars aswell.


But then there were two major issues.

The first issue was that PSL is just a 1-2 month event, and no consistent marketing was done to keep the hype alive throughout the year. On top of that, the teams were completely changed each season because of these ridiculous retention laws. Teams could only keep 5-7 players and had to release the rest, which meant the entire complexion of the team changed. Fans couldn’t build a lasting connection with the teams because the players they associated with their favorite team were gone by the next season.

The second issue was political instability and the role of the government and army. For instance, when the Abhinandan event happened, it was like a preview of how external events could overshadow PSL. That incident took place during PSL, and I remember how, for 1-2 weeks, all the social media buzz shifted away from PSL to Abhinandan. This showed that PSL and cricket hype were heavily dependent on what was trending on social media at the time.

The real blow came when the government decided to ban Twitter and control online narratives. On top of that, the political war between PTI and PMLN/PPP over the last 3-4 years completely fractured the nation. The Twitter ban meant no new cricket content was being generated there. Facebook, which used to drive engagement, is barely used anymore, and now people mostly stick to Instagram. Naturally, the lack of social media activity caused the cricket content to fade away too.

Even the Pakistan win over India at the World T20 2021 was a revival, but the twitter ban and the govts controlling the internet had such a effect that the national unity and pride is all lost
 
Pakistanis aren't passionate about cricket as they used to be back in the 90s.

The generation has changed and the current lot are too much into football than cricket.

Pakistan's form over the last couple of years doesn't help either.
 
You can say that about test cricket but T20 cricket is blooming nicely... Test cricket might die but not white ball cricket..
 
Yeah lmao, true that. Half of the team is Gen Z currently LMAO. Saim, Shaheen, Naseem, Abdullah, Hasnain, Sufiyan Muqeem etc etc
Yes but we aren't talking about aspiring cricketers. We are talking about viewers. Viewers from late gen z's have decreased otherwise aspiring cricketers will always rise up and about
 
cricket is not gonna attract new fans in other countries especially the way whole cricket only revolves around what bcci wants
 
If the national team is doing well and winning trophies, the audience will value them more and interest will increase. Based on how we have been doing in last few years, I don't blame them. Why would kids be interested in seeing Pakistan kicked out in the group stages of world cups? Or waking up early to see Pakistan lose 3-0 to Australia (something we have been doing for over 25 years)
 
how can anyone be passionate about this team, babar azam would barely register in the discussion of all time great Pakistan players, yet his PR is shoved down peoples throats like hes the second coming of ronaldo. @Major its interesting you mention the paindu aspect, because truth be told, most of the pak team is full of paindus, not just in a lack of education, but general way they carry themselves too. from their physiques, posture, language, thinking, and having met a few players, barely anything stands out, barring their cricket ability, about anyone of them.

those who are ardent pak fans are pak fans because of guys like saeed, wasim, imran, javed, shoaib, saqlain, etc. regardless of their educational backgrounds, they all walked on to a cricket field strutting like they deserved to be their with the best. the guys nowadays get their backsides handed to them by the USA cricket team, they treat playing against the best as a privilege because they know on merit they dont deserve to.

sport captures the attention where those who partake become aspirational figures. djokovic can win everything he touches, but he hasnt brought a fraction of the casual audience that federer used to bring, the way he carried himself, his demenaour, his success, the whole package was aspirational. my parents who dont know a single rule of tennis knew roger federer, and liked to watch him play simply because he carried himself so well.

pakistan is a country that lives on hopes and aspirations, the reality has always been drudgery in poverty for the masses, but when you give someone a dream, they become emotionally invested. who in their right mind would want their kid to idolise some of these guys, at least some of the paindus of the past used to win stuff. pakistanis lose enough in real life to aspire to be like losers on a cricket pitch.

when you open up your entertainment economy to a global sports environment, there are far far better idols to look up to. the current pak crickteres just cannot compete on any level with global peers.
 
It’s a sad reality here in the UK as well with the younger Pakistani generation. The real question is, why do people watch cricket? It’s obviously for entertainment. But if Rizwan and Babar are chasing at a run a ball and powerplays are barely hitting 5 runs an over, where’s the entertainment in that? why would someone be interested in watching boring cricket
 
Obsession with IPL . For them IPL is bigger than international cricket barring ICC tournaments.
IPL is very similar to franchisee sports in the US (baseball, basketball, hockey.. etc. )Family get-togethers annually. The US has multiple sports to follow. We just have cricket. It has been a massive stress buster for women too. Their alternative is the Sas Bahu serial. This is better than that. Indian fans with strong ties with USA through their friends and families and have embraced franchisee sports. 2022-23 became the most-watched NBA season in India. over 100 million viewers. Concept of long weekend, time-off have infiltrated into India's middle class. You don't want to be left out in a conversation where they discuss cricket. It has become part of their lifestyle. Having said that if your team stops performing well interest will dwindle.
 
There is another thing in India. They make a lot of movies about sports especially cricket. EIther a drama or biography or movie based on true events. They have good reception.
 
There is another thing in India. They make a lot of movies about sports especially cricket. EIther a drama or biography or movie based on true events. They have good reception.
wouldnt work in pak, celebrity culture is totally different, or at least it was when i was younger, dont know about now.
 
The madness for Cricket doesn’t exist anymore. Streaming platforms might be breaking record but in general i barely come across people who follow the game as closely as i do.
 
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Whenever I go to Pakistan , mostly Lahore and Islamabad lately , and talk to school/college going boys, no one talks about and interested in cricket, quite a change from our days when we could not stop talking about likes of Imran Khan, Wasim and Waqar and cricket in general and almost all of us played at different level.
 
You can thank Misbah for putting so many fans to sleep whenever he came out to bat. This guy not only destroyed the psyche of Pakistan cricket but he also went out of his way to sideline flair players, when they should've been playing.
 
You can thank Misbah for putting so many fans to sleep whenever he came out to bat. This guy not only destroyed the psyche of Pakistan cricket but he also went out of his way to sideline flair players, when they should've been playing.
Absolutely .
 
Street cricket has more interest and craze instead of these international games because there are too many leagues and all and this saturation has made cricket less interesting...
 
IPL has more followers than Indian cricket. THere are some cricket followers (women especially) exclusively follow IPL. Test cricket has following. But mostly online and on TV. Nobody takes time to go to ground. This is why BCCI tries to host Test cricket in smaller venues. Having said that cricket will always have fans. What else we have. Nothing.
This is so much true. My family whatsapp group cricket only during IPL. They all go crazy and spend a lot of money going to matches. Freaking summer vacations are not planned around ipl matches. Hardly anyone sends even a meme during Indian matches unless it is high profile tours. Almost all casual fans have moved on to IPL
 
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