Pakistan cricket's downfall from 2019

[AAli98]

By the end of the England and South Africa tour, im pretty sure you will abandon Naseem and Rizwan as well.

Pakistan cricket didn’t start during Covid 19 mate

Whoever don’t perform bye bye.

 

[Rana]

Whoever don’t perform bye bye.

Thand rakh

Better days will come.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

We lost 32 out of 40 ODIs in that period, our captain was fat, yawning on the pitch and shouting racist remarks to another athlete on live television.

I viewed the racism thread. Most of PP wanted him gone.

I think there is a tinge of nostalgia to many posts about him now.

 

[Usman Chadda]

I viewed the racism thread. Most of PP wanted him gone.

I think there is a tinge of nostalgia to many posts about him now.

It's a certain section of fans from an individual region promoting this rubbish.

I used to be overly optimistic and go at it with @Mamoon during Sarfraz's reign as captain, but the rot had started even before his captaincy. In hindsight, we have been going downhill since 2013 and our cricket just hasn't recovered from the damage that was caused since that era.

What exactly happened and how did we collapse to this point, needs to have introspection and only then will we be able to come out of this rut.

Our cricketers are mediocre and no one we have tried has established himself, bar Babar. If in ten years you have produced only one world-class player of note, you have a massive issue in terms of talent.

 

[CerebralPatriot]

And whose fault was that?

Why didn’t Sarfraz pick Fawad Alam who was the most experienced and prolific FC batsman in Pakistan at the time?

Because Inzamam was chief selector and he too is part of the nexus that has destroyed Pakistan cricket.

 

[ads101]

It's a certain section of fans from an individual region promoting this rubbish.

I used to be overly optimistic and go at it with @Mamoon during Sarfraz's reign as captain, but the rot had started even before his captaincy. In hindsight, we have been going downhill since 2013 and our cricket just hasn't recovered from the damage that was caused since that era.

What exactly happened and how did we collapse to this point, needs to have introspection and only then will we be able to come out of this rut.

Our cricketers are mediocre and no one we have tried has established himself, bar Babar. If in ten years you have produced only one world-class player of note, you have a massive issue in terms of talent.

Most teams don't get an influx of truly talented players. Maybe they get more than Pakistan, but they still can't afford to waste them.

In this last 10 year period, the most talented players were Amir, Umar Akmal, Babar, Haris Sohail, Sharjeel and Shaheen. Amir and Sharjeel lost to fixing. Sharjeel, Umar Akmal, Haris (to an extent, he didn't help his injuries being less fit) lost to fitness. Shaheen and Haris injuries. Sarfraz isn't as talented as these guys and I won't count him but I think massively underperformed too as I think he could have been one of our best performing players in all three formats and part of the reason he didn't was fitness too IMO.

Can you really afford to waste more than 80% of your talent on a combination of fitness, fixing, injuries? I don't think most countries are losing out in terms of that percentage of their talented players due to those reasons. Maybe injuries you can't help (though we've had circumstances of wrong diagnosis/treatment). But fitness and fixing aren't even reasons why other countries lose talented players as they ensure those things aren't a problem by taking a hardline stance.

Which is why I think the biggest problems are fitness and fixing. Get rid of those issues, and we can at least hold on to and develop the limited talent that we actually have.

 

[mominsaigol]

Most teams don't get an influx of truly talented players. Maybe they get more than Pakistan, but they still can't afford to waste them.

In this last 10 year period, the most talented players were Amir, Umar Akmal, Babar, Haris Sohail, Sharjeel and Shaheen. Amir and Sharjeel lost to fixing. Sharjeel, Umar Akmal, Haris (to an extent, he didn't help his injuries being less fit) lost to fitness. Shaheen and Haris injuries. Sarfraz isn't as talented as these guys and I won't count him but I think massively underperformed too as I think he could have been one of our best performing players in all three formats and part of the reason he didn't was fitness too IMO.

Can you really afford to waste more than 80% of your talent on a combination of fitness, fixing, injuries? I don't think most countries are losing out in terms of that percentage of their talented players due to those reasons. Maybe injuries you can't help (though we've had circumstances of wrong diagnosis/treatment). But fitness and fixing aren't even reasons why other countries lose talented players as they ensure those things aren't a problem by taking a hardline stance.

Which is why I think the biggest problems are fitness and fixing. Get rid of those issues, and we can at least hold on to and develop the limited talent that we actually have.

The most talented was fakhar zaman easily and I don't know why you guys don't understand that all pakistan needed to do was to fix his inconsistency.

Fakhar after one coaching stint with hafeez against spin become one heck of a spin basher courtesy of that slog sweep.

A coach like yousaf doesn't suit him but a left handed aggressive batting coach would have done wonders for him.

He's willing to play for his team, willing to listen, he isn't like babar who treats yousaf's coaching as a calculus math test. Yousaf was the perfect coach for Babar considering their similar stances and the fact head positions + developing backlifts would have fixed Babar but bobby is too egotistical.

You lot destroyed fakhar in order to advocate for rizwan who's limited and his peak just doesn't match up.

 

[Mamoon]

Because Inzamam was chief selector and he too is part of the nexus that has destroyed Pakistan cricket.

So Sarfraz was such a weak captain that he couldn’t impose himself on the selectors? Then he deserved to get sacked. Weak and yes men captain are useless.

 

[mominsaigol]

So Sarfraz was such a weak captain that he couldn’t impose himself on the selectors? Then he deserved to get sacked. Weak and yes men captain are useless.

Pakistan ultimately won ct 2017 under him, Reached no 1 t20 rank under him, beat atg England in their home den under him.

These aren't small achievements. He had a horrific 2018, but that's okay. Dhoni was the first ever Indian captain to lose 4 consequective test series back to back for india, was the first captain to ever lose to Bangladesh, also has the 2nd most test losses under any indian captain.

However his achievements aren't invalidated by any means, and he had peak years and meager years. No career is perfect. Kohli had a horrible 2021 as well.

What isn't okay is what Babar did to the team and what Shan is now doing. Babar led the team alongside Misbah into a rut and he was nothing more then a misbah chamcha during that stint.

Babar isn't the worst as he did lead pakistan into a semi final and 2 finals of t20 tournaments and got a no 1 odi rank, however his form, fitness, captaincy record in 2023 wc warranted a sack 100%.

And unlike sarfi he was given captaincy back in 2024 with even worse results. His performance in 2024 tournaments is worse then literally every captain in history, even inzi from 2007.

Either you're performing with the bat, or you're leading your team to victories. You cannot Not perform with the bat and not lead your team to victories and be expected to remain as captain or remain in the team. Your words not mine.

Babar got rightfully sacked in 2023, and after 2024 and his horrible test performance their is a right to remove him and sack him altogether and try someone like kamran ghulam or anyone else until a replacement is found.

Atm this so called lean patch has gone on for 2 years and it's getting worse day by day, his form is decreasing not increasing. He couldn't even drive properly in this test series? He played multiple one handed shots showcasing am extremely poor grip, head placement and foot movement.

 

[Minnowbasher]

The Sarfraz era had alot more hope than the current era. He was unlucky to not have a t20 world cup in 2018 when our t20 team was peaking.
Although I'm not necessarily a huge fan of him, I don't understand why him and mickey weren't given a chance to continue atleast in white ball. Bilateral series don't matter, it's world tournaments that matter. Sarfraz captained in only 2 ICC trophies and won 1 of them. Surely he deserved to continue atleast until the 2021 t20 world cup.
His t20 side was the best t20 side we have ever had, youngsters were performing under him and the overall team spirit was there.
To be fair, under Babar the team was playing well bar the odd series here and there. 2023 asia cup was the turning point and since then we have lost it as a team. The downfall has been rapid since then and we have had the worst year in our cricket history probably.

Ultimately, we have to move on. The Sarfraz and Babar eras had both good and bad. Currently the Shan era doesn't seem to be going well and god knows who will take over in white ball cricket.

 

[ads101]

The most talented was fakhar zaman easily and I don't know why you guys don't understand that all pakistan needed to do was to fix his inconsistency.

Fakhar after one coaching stint with hafeez against spin become one heck of a spin basher courtesy of that slog sweep.

A coach like yousaf doesn't suit him but a left handed aggressive batting coach would have done wonders for him.

He's willing to play for his team, willing to listen, he isn't like babar who treats yousaf's coaching as a calculus math test. Yousaf was the perfect coach for Babar considering their similar stances and the fact head positions + developing backlifts would have fixed Babar but bobby is too egotistical.

You lot destroyed fakhar in order to advocate for rizwan who's limited and his peak just doesn't match up.

Fakhar is more talented than Babar?

Fakhar debuted around 27. Not exactly earmarked when young. People were talking about Babar when he was 14. Even around his debut, people were unsure Fakhar would be good, some dismissing him as a hack. Same when Umar Akmal hit the scene, the whole cricketing world was remarking how talented he was.

Fakhar in general looks awful early innings. He can't time the ball properly until he's stayed in for a while. Swipes, mishits, looks ungainly. He struggles to even be able to play himself in, it's more you have to hope he doesn't get out early. This is very different to someone like for example Sharjeel who comes in early and can time and hit from ball one.

I would have thought that the reason why Fakhar can not fix his early innings inconsistency issue is more due to knack of natural talent. I have never seen as good a player as Fakhar struggle like that early on. Even outside of Pakistan team. He really is a rarity in that regard. Which why he creates so much debate.

Fakhar has done very well as a player credit to him. Probably even more impressed that he's done this well with how he struggles early on. Depends how you view talent I guess. But really those other players look more talented in the traditional sense. Still doesn't really change my point that the majority of our talented players are being lost due to fixing, fitness and injury rather than other reasons.

 

[Asad T]

Last year we have been exposed in every format:
- ODI WC, lost to Afghanistan
- T20I WC, lost to USA
- Test, lost to Bangladesh at home

Next up -- I bet we will not be able to qualify for the next CT

 

[topspin]

Last year we have been exposed in every format:
- ODI WC, lost to Afghanistan
- T20I WC, lost to USA
- Test, lost to Bangladesh at home

Next up -- I bet we will not be able to qualify for the next CT

Who knows maybe our players from KPK might opt to represent Afghanistan instead and I certainly wouldn't blame them. Pakistan cricket is going south whereas the Afghans are only going up from here.

 

[mominsaigol]

Fakhar is more talented than Babar?

Fakhar debuted around 27. Not exactly earmarked when young. People were talking about Babar when he was 14. Even around his debut, people were unsure Fakhar would be good, some dismissing him as a hack. Same when Umar Akmal hit the scene, the whole cricketing world was remarking how talented he was.

Fakhar in general looks awful early innings. He can't time the ball properly until he's stayed in for a while. Swipes, mishits, looks ungainly. He struggles to even be able to play himself in, it's more you have to hope he doesn't get out early. This is very different to someone like for example Sharjeel who comes in early and can time and hit from ball one.

I would have thought that the reason why Fakhar can not fix his early innings inconsistency issue is more due to knack of natural talent. I have never seen as good a player as Fakhar struggle like that early on. Even outside of Pakistan team. He really is a rarity in that regard. Which why he creates so much debate.

Fakhar has done very well as a player credit to him. Probably even more impressed that he's done this well with how he struggles early on. Depends how you view talent I guess. But really those other players look more talented in the traditional sense. Still doesn't really change my point that the majority of our talented players are being lost due to fixing, fitness and injury rather than other reasons.

Yes he is, name one player since saeed Anwar from Pakistan that can do what fakhar can?

 

[CerebralPatriot]

In 2018 we drew 1-1 with an England team that beat India 4-1

In 2024 we have lost 4 straight tests to England. 2 of those tests we scored 500 and all of these tests have been at home

What a difference 6 years makes, what a difference does having someone like Safi over Fraudwan makes

 

[mazkhan]

It's called effect of pti Australian system the destruction of pakistan cricket, ethnofacism picking of kpk quota as our soorma fast bowlers who cant even bowl 140kph and a spinner made of glass who keeps getting hospitalised during games.

Reap what you sow

Forget cricket the pti destroyed our national air carrier.

 

[adi_62941]

It's called effect of pti Australian system the destruction of pakistan cricket, ethnofacism picking of kpk quota as our soorma fast bowlers who cant even bowl 140kph and a spinner made of glass who keeps getting hospitalised during games.

Reap what you sow

Forget cricket the pti destroyed our national air carrier.

Absolutely on point. The downfall began when the great Muslim leader abandoned departmental cricket and attempted to impose the Australian-style first-class system. It’s like trying to fit a system designed for a population of 60 million into one with 600 million. However, that leader had a great vision and a strong affinity for the Australian cricket system.

Hundreds and thousands of domestic cricketers became unemployed, and some left cricket and the country to pursue their dreams overseas or in other fields of work, resulting in a significant decline in emerging talent.

Even in the PSL, we are fielding players who are either discarded from domestic cricket or past their prime, with only a handful of young cricketers being selected for PSL teams.

Without a doubt, Pakistan cricket is currently facing a talent drought, and the outlook for the next 10-20 years seems bleak.

 

[mominsaigol]

2 brothers of mine who predicted this downfall earlier then anyone else

@CerebralPatriot and @Rana

You all now need to learn to listen. They weren't the so called Delusional Pakistani haters that you proclaimed.

Yall better not have amnesia which alot of this forumn tends to have by acting like all of this is a surprise and no one could have predicted this.

 

[MenInG]

During the 2019 world cup the Pakistani side with an inexperienced Shaheen, weak middle order and non existent spin department was able to finish joint 5th on the tournament table only losing a semi final spot due to net run rate. At the same time we were ranked the number 1 T20 team, had won 9 consecutive games against Australia and New Zealand and drawn a series vs England where India had lost 4-1. Looking at those results today it seems as though any rational observer would assume that the core group of players responsible for these outstanding performances would have been backed for another 4 years, building a team which could have looked to dominate world cricket for the next half a decade. This however did not happen

When Misbah Ul Haq was appointed as coach and chief selector of the Pakistan cricket team he made it his mission to destroy a team which was well set and looked to be moving in the right direction and he did this by removing the glue which kept it together the captain.

Fast foward to now and the consequences of his actions are being felt at its fullest. Our T20 team is stacked with two pathetic accumulators who force any up and coming talent to bat below them, destroying their confidence and sending them back into domestics. Our test team can't even win a series at home and our ODI team, well the result vs India tells you the whole story.

It's honestly sad that one man's dislike of a player who was not just our best keeper but one of our best captains has now resulted in Pakistan cricket falling into new lows with now a culture of friendship, mediocrity and trying to look cute on field dominating.

The only way to fix this root is drastic changes and brining back the setup of 2019 while obviously replacing those who have retired with fresh blood

In summary, somehow bring in Sarfaraz Ahmed.

 

[cricketkashmir]

I haven't been a regular poster here of late. But keep on visiting the forum after every Pakistan defeat to see the reaction. It hurts being a Pakistan cricket fan. Nothing seems to be working for them.
I personally feel that the players, though not as capable as the earlier generations, can perform a lot better, if given a clear direction. Some points as to why I feel the current crop has been poorly managed:

1. Consistent change in board management: Pakistan have been awful here to say the least. So many board changes, coach changes, selector changes and what not. This has "ensured" inconsistency in decision making, mindset and selections. Every new chairman brings with him his own team, and they select the THEIR team. A lot needs to be done at the grassroot level, but it seems every chairman is himself playing a T20 with the chair
2. Changes in captain: This, though a result of changes in the management has hurt Pakistan cricket the most. They do not have a leader. Everyone believes they can be a captain tomorrow and the players are generally power hungry. This distracts them from concentrating on their core competency, either batting or bowling. The recent changes in captaincy has become a laughing stock, with captains being selected without merit
3. There seems to be no plan for players. The current lot is amazingly unfit. Whether it is a result of no workload management, injury management or whatever - they just cannot play for 5 days. Poor domestic structure is to be blamed, which is very unclear, and runs without a plan.

I am not defending players completely, but the management is a much bigger evil. It will take years of effort and toil, and clear direction for Pakistan cricket to become competitive again. But again, Pakistan Cricket Management needs to find a way to be consistent, which seems like a distant dream

 

[CerebralPatriot]

We are now at a state of free fall with Mohammad Rizwan at the helm

In 2019 people where optimistic about our future, we had a young team led by a brilliant captain who was ready to take the world by storm

Today we have become the laughing stocks of international cricket. In the last 2.5 years we have lost to Zimbabwe twice, West Indies at home, Bangaldesh at home for the first time including a series whitewash, to Afghanistan and the USA for the first time. We failed to chase 119 vs India, only 1 home test series win, failed to qualify for the semis in our first home tournament and yet the crooks behind this disaster remain in power

This is no longer a downfall, this is a destruction

 

[Hellion]

The decline began in the latter years of the Inzi-Woolmer era. PAK ODI cricket has never seen sustained success after that

 

[pakistani pride]

I haven't been a regular poster here of late. But keep on visiting the forum after every Pakistan defeat to see the reaction. It hurts being a Pakistan cricket fan. Nothing seems to be working for them.
I personally feel that the players, though not as capable as the earlier generations, can perform a lot better, if given a clear direction. Some points as to why I feel the current crop has been poorly managed:

1. Consistent change in board management: Pakistan have been awful here to say the least. So many board changes, coach changes, selector changes and what not. This has "ensured" inconsistency in decision making, mindset and selections. Every new chairman brings with him his own team, and they select the THEIR team. A lot needs to be done at the grassroot level, but it seems every chairman is himself playing a T20 with the chair
2. Changes in captain: This, though a result of changes in the management has hurt Pakistan cricket the most. They do not have a leader. Everyone believes they can be a captain tomorrow and the players are generally power hungry. This distracts them from concentrating on their core competency, either batting or bowling. The recent changes in captaincy has become a laughing stock, with captains being selected without merit
3. There seems to be no plan for players. The current lot is amazingly unfit. Whether it is a result of no workload management, injury management or whatever - they just cannot play for 5 days. Poor domestic structure is to be blamed, which is very unclear, and runs without a plan.

I am not defending players completely, but the management is a much bigger evil. It will take years of effort and toil, and clear direction for Pakistan cricket to become competitive again. But again, Pakistan Cricket Management needs to find a way to be consistent, which seems like a distant dream

PCB always has been a mess.
Players like Babar, Rizwan, SSA etc are really soft and timid. They are lazy and have no desire to improve.

 

[Devadwal]

Pakistan cricket downfall started from 2023 Asia Cup when India humiliated Pakistan by runs. Before Asia Cup Pakistan was number one ODI team in ICC Ranking

 

[TheSultan]

For all those pinning all the blame on the “system”, the “board”, the “management”. It’s an easy cop out.

We’ve always had these problems. But we haven’t reacted as pitifully as we do these days.

Look at the 1998 tour to S.A. captaincy changed hands, Wasim was discarded, Rashid Latif became captain, he was injured, then Aamir Sohail took over. Team combination was up and down, when Rashid was fit, he had to come back as captain but Moin who performed well in the first couple of games, had to be retained so we were playing with two keepers. Then out of nowhere wasim is brought back for the final test. Result 1-1 draw in the series.

Yes changes in PCB don’t help, yes changes in coach, captain don’t help, but our pitiful state should also be blamed on the players because they show zero motivation to rise above it.

 

[Abid Z]

The downfall of Pak cricket? To fall down you have to be standing in the first place. When was Pak a good team? Probably around 1999/2000 but after around 2003 definitely the cracks started appearing. The definitive moment was probably after 2010. From 1999-2010 they worked hard to overcome challenges and rebuild but it never entailed the complete overhaul and revamping that was required which meant by 2019 the wheels began to come off.

Yes Pak can have isolated and very good wins here and there but essentially we are papering over the cracks.

They need to learn lessons from teams like windies, Sri Lanka England in the 1990’s. Yes you can have Lara, Shiv, sarwan, sanga murali jaya, atherton, nas, Vaughn but until you really invest in player development and tough domestic competitions with good junior overseas tours you just never have the next generation of players putting pressure on established players.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

fire two mentors and you will have 1cr in disposal.
Select 30 players in each U16 , U19 and U21 categories and pay them monthly 1 lac PKR and select 10 emerging players from any age bracket and pay them 1 lac PKR monthly and boom in 5 years time the talent shortage problem will be sorted.

Every parents in pak will want their kids to become cricketers if it started bringing food to the table from their teenage years.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Pakistan have lost 13 consecutive ODIs vs New Zealand in New Zealand... Another whitewash for team green

 

[GoUgandaCranes]

There's not a single player in Pak that has any presence to them. They all look unfit, weak, & timid as if some factory has churned out low quality cheap clones of a better product already available in the market. People may say that Saim & Fakhar were not there hence the results but it's hard to see them adding enough positive impact to neutralize the negativity that this team is playing with.

The fast bowlers are neither fast nor accurate. I had hopes for Akif thinking that he'd bowl like a proper bowler but as soon as he's in the team, he too has developed the same habit to bowl a floating pitch up ball after every two deliveries (the shaheen syndrome) that releases all pressure on seam friendly decks. There's not a single bowler in Pak who can bowl six back of length deliveries in an over at good pace.

The batters are so poor that it's beyond belief at this point. It's ok to not have power for maybe a couple of them but every single one is short on power. There's no one who is wristy or is able to play hard length effectively. The forward defensive in white ball is the easiest shot & that's what they all do when they are defending. No wrist work, no dabs, no playing the gaps, no power, & literally just zero intent. An off spinner can bowl their entire quota with a mid off in the circle & they'd not be able to play a single meaningful shot to put pressure to get a field change.

I don't even know why they have become so glaringly terrible. Is it the management, is it the team environment, is it the complacency that comes because of stable financial conditions, or what is it exactly that is ailing them so badly?. They just do not feel like people enjoying their job or taking any pride in the job they have at hand. Also almost all of them are now supporting beer bellies which is honestly a crime if you are a pro athlete. And I cannot remember for the life of me a player who has improved over time which just reflects that the will to be better just isn't there. They debut as ordinary players & then just disappear in the background.

 

[Vikram1989]

If this kind of humiliation goes on, top teams including india will use only c or d kind of emerging teams against pak in any bilateral series.This is tough times for pak.next 1 year will determine its future and relavance in cricket.pak players and coaches are acting like nero with any care .

 

[Snowflake]

Pakistan cricket downfall started from 2023 Asia Cup when India humiliated Pakistan by runs. Before Asia Cup Pakistan was number one ODI team in ICC Ranking

Nope. Well before

 

[shah9425]

We are now at a state of free fall with Mohammad Rizwan at the helm

In 2019 people where optimistic about our future, we had a young team led by a brilliant captain who was ready to take the world by storm

Today we have become the laughing stocks of international cricket. In the last 2.5 years we have lost to Zimbabwe twice, West Indies at home, Bangaldesh at home for the first time including a series whitewash, to Afghanistan and the USA for the first time. We failed to chase 119 vs India, only 1 home test series win, failed to qualify for the semis in our first home tournament and yet the crooks behind this disaster remain in power

This is no longer a downfall, this is a destruction

Brilliant captain had a disaster Asia cup, disaster WC and disaster test series in UAE

 

[Rana]

It’s not even watchable anymore

I’m not sure which team had more attraction to watch, Misbah’s 2013-15 team or this team under Rizwan?

 

[mominsaigol]

Brilliant captain had a disaster Asia cup, disaster WC and disaster test series in UAE

Bhai stop with the hate for the sake of hating.

No one views sarfi as a pat Cummins level ATG captain.

The problem with sarfi's team and sarfi hinseof was that he was god awful as a test captain and he was pretty poor as an odi bi laterals captain.

But this dude was clearly a tournament captain and he was very good leading the t20 side before Misbah shoved his bhoota into it.

Pakistan won ct 2017 and before ct 2017 they won under 19 wc under him. He also had a track record of leading other teams to victories in domestics.

Then he dominated PSL for a long time just wasn't able to win it until 2019 but each year QG use to be the most dominant and downright unbeatable team during PSL's early days.

He was a clearly a gun t20 captain and a very very solid tournament captain considering Pakistan won ct 2017, beat England and NZ in 2019 and honestly tough love, Sri Lanka game got washed out. Not saying Pakistan would have won but had that game happened and if pakistan did win they'd be in the semi's atleast.

Since Sarfi's departure and Misbah's entry we have gotten the following events

A) Total collapse of the t20 side to the point c side Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe was thrashing us in t20 cricket throughout 2020.

B) A solid recovery in 2021 t20 wc, lost to Australia but it was overall a good tournament.

C) Utter misery in 2022 asia cup and 2022 t20 wc where flukes upon flukes were happening. Pakistan was qualifying but the teams halat was their to see, Relying on fluke wins nedtherlands, Rain from Zimbabwe vs sa, and covid shortened T20 formats where 1 to 2 fluke wins was enough to qualify.

D) Domination of a c side NZ in their home den but only due to Fakhar wonders in 2 games, otherwise result would have been 3-2 in NZ favour

E) Nepal E Azam meme in Asia cup, brutal brutal bashing by India.

F) Catastrophe in wc 2023. Lost to every tom dick and Harry except Sri Lanka where we had to play out of our skins to win, Netherlands, Bangladesh and a Fluke victory over NZ once again due to Fakhar's wonders. Infact I'd argue we would have lost vs Bangladesh as well if not for Fakhar's scoring significant amount of runs.

G) Utter humiliation vs England in t20 series

H) Clownery in wc t20 2024. Pakistan was behind USA in every metric except fir cricket and now I'm not sure if we can beat USA in t20 cricket on a consistent basis.

I) And now flash forward to 2025, we have become a NZ punching bag especially in odi cricket. We have played them 6x in 2025 and have brutally been bashed by them irrespective of which team they play.

Our only shining light in whiteball has been 2021 t20 wc, Aus and SA series and arguably 2022 since despite Utter misery we fluked our way into finals 2x.

 

[mominsaigol]

It’s not even watchable anymore

I’m not sure which team had more attraction to watch, Misbah’s 2013-15 team or this team under Rizwan?

Misbah's team was more watchable due to bowling( Hafeez, Ajmal and Saeed) + some pretty good t20 cricketers like sohail tanvir, and a few magic gems from wahab on occasion.

Also Deapite batting at 6 and 7, Umar akmal and Afridi made this team watchable, ct 2013 was misery yes, but Sharjeel Khan also came albeit sparingly in 2013.

This 2025 team is a failure from all ends.

 

[Rana]

Misbah's team was more watchable due to bowling( Hafeez, Ajmal and Saeed) + some pretty good t20 cricketers like sohail tanvir, and a few magic gems from wahab on occasion.

Also Deapite batting at 6 and 7, Umar akmal and Afridi made this team watchable, ct 2013 was misery yes, but Sharjeel Khan also came albeit sparingly in 2013.

This 2025 team is a failure from all ends.

Agreed. The players under Misbah were vastly superior white ball players albeit lead by a coward.

This team is a bunch of cowards lead by a fraud.

 

[mominsaigol]

Agreed. The players under Misbah were vastly superior white ball players albeit lead by a coward.

This team is a bunch of cowards lead by a fraud.

Misbah's team could have been better had they made just a few changes.

1) Sharjeel Khan (2013-2014 form)
2) Sarfaraz Ahmed (Aus 2014 Form)
3) Haris Sohail
4) Muhammad Hafeez
5) Umar Akmal (2014 form, Scored a century vs Afg from a collapsed position)
6) Sohaib Malik (no clue why misbah kept pushing him out)
7) Misbah ul Haq (He's captain so no choice but to put him here but he should have made himself makeshift, only come in during collapses otherwise just don't bother coming out at all, bat yourself at 11 if everything is going good)
8) Shahid Afridi
9) Umar Gul (no clue why misbah had such an ego and dropped him for fitness test nonsense when Gul said he was ready to go, was still in gun form from 2013-2015 period)
10) Wahab riaz
11) Junaid Khan

^^ This would have been a very solid odi team had Misbah kept out his buddies like shehzad, shafiq, Imran Farhat, Nasir Jamshed etc

 

[Abid Z]

Can you guys stop bringing misbah into every conversation it derails threads. Yes Rizwan and Babar have flaws. We get it. Not every topic has to be about them three. Pak cricket is in the doldrums and the problems are far bigger than 3 individuals. The rot truly started a decade or 2 ago.

 

[Mohraheem]

Can you guys stop bringing misbah into every conversation it derails threads. Yes Rizwan and Babar have flaws. We get it. Not every topic has to be about them three. Pak cricket is in the doldrums and the problems are far bigger than 3 individuals. The rot truly started a decade or 2 ago.

The Misbah Era: A Misstep That Derailed Pakistan Cricket





After the glorious high of the 2017 Champions Trophy win under the dynamic coaching of Mickey Arthur, Pakistan cricket stood at the threshold of sustained success. The team had youth, momentum, and belief. But in 2019, when Arthur was removed and replaced by Misbah-ul-Haq as both head coach and chief selector, that momentum came crashing down.





Lack of Vision and Tactical Clarity





Misbah inherited a team brimming with potential. However, his conservative mindset and defensive tactics failed to adapt to the demands of modern cricket. Under his leadership, the team often appeared clueless, especially in ODIs and T20s, with no clear game plan or identity. His selections lacked consistency and seemed driven by personal biases rather than merit or performance metrics.





Questionable Selection Choices





As chief selector, Misbah made several puzzling decisions. Players like Fakhar Zaman and Sarfaraz Ahmed who were instrumental in the Champions Trophy win were sidelined without solid justification. At the same time, players out of form were repeatedly given chances, undermining the merit-based system that Mickey Arthur had worked hard to build.





Fitness Over Form





Misbah’s obsession with fitness tests over actual on-field performance also hurt the team. While fitness is important, it cannot override form and match-winning ability. Many players were dropped for failing Yo-Yo tests, while others who passed them but underperformed on the field kept their spots. This not only confused fans and critics but demoralized players.





Stifling the Aggression





Under Mickey Arthur, Pakistan played aggressive, fearless cricket especially visible during the 2017 Champions Trophy. Misbah, known for his slow and steady approach as a player, brought that same philosophy into coaching. The result? A defensive, hesitant team unable to compete with the likes of India, England, or Australia. That spark, that fire Pakistan was known for, vanished.





Loss of Identity





Perhaps the biggest tragedy of Misbah’s tenure was that Pakistan lost its cricketing identity. Instead of building on the aggressive, passionate foundation laid by Arthur, Misbah introduced confusion and mediocrity. The team often looked like they were playing not to lose, rather than playing to win.











Conclusion





While Misbah-ul-Haq was a respectable captain, his dual role as head coach and chief selector after the 2017 Champions Trophy was a strategic blunder. Instead of taking Pakistan cricket forward, it set the team back several years. Removing Mickey Arthur a coach who had instilled professionalism, discipline, and fighting spirit was a grave error that many fans and analysts still regret today.

 

[shah9425]

Bhai stop with the hate for the sake of hating.

No one views sarfi as a pat Cummins level ATG captain.

The problem with sarfi's team and sarfi hinseof was that he was god awful as a test captain and he was pretty poor as an odi bi laterals captain.

But this dude was clearly a tournament captain and he was very good leading the t20 side before Misbah shoved his bhoota into it.

Pakistan won ct 2017 and before ct 2017 they won under 19 wc under him. He also had a track record of leading other teams to victories in domestics.

Then he dominated PSL for a long time just wasn't able to win it until 2019 but each year QG use to be the most dominant and downright unbeatable team during PSL's early days.

He was a clearly a gun t20 captain and a very very solid tournament captain considering Pakistan won ct 2017, beat England and NZ in 2019 and honestly tough love, Sri Lanka game got washed out. Not saying Pakistan would have won but had that game happened and if pakistan did win they'd be in the semi's atleast.

Since Sarfi's departure and Misbah's entry we have gotten the following events

A) Total collapse of the t20 side to the point c side Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe was thrashing us in t20 cricket throughout 2020.

B) A solid recovery in 2021 t20 wc, lost to Australia but it was overall a good tournament.

C) Utter misery in 2022 asia cup and 2022 t20 wc where flukes upon flukes were happening. Pakistan was qualifying but the teams halat was their to see, Relying on fluke wins nedtherlands, Rain from Zimbabwe vs sa, and covid shortened T20 formats where 1 to 2 fluke wins was enough to qualify.

D) Domination of a c side NZ in their home den but only due to Fakhar wonders in 2 games, otherwise result would have been 3-2 in NZ favour

E) Nepal E Azam meme in Asia cup, brutal brutal bashing by India.

F) Catastrophe in wc 2023. Lost to every tom dick and Harry except Sri Lanka where we had to play out of our skins to win, Netherlands, Bangladesh and a Fluke victory over NZ once again due to Fakhar's wonders. Infact I'd argue we would have lost vs Bangladesh as well if not for Fakhar's scoring significant amount of runs.

G) Utter humiliation vs England in t20 series

H) Clownery in wc t20 2024. Pakistan was behind USA in every metric except fir cricket and now I'm not sure if we can beat USA in t20 cricket on a consistent basis.

I) And now flash forward to 2025, we have become a NZ punching bag especially in odi cricket. We have played them 6x in 2025 and have brutally been bashed by them irrespective of which team they play.

Our only shining light in whiteball has been 2021 t20 wc, Aus and SA series and arguably 2022 since despite Utter misery we fluked our way into finals 2x.

Yeah but we were great team during Sarfraz time hell no

Good post but the decay of team has been started from 2013

 

[RyanRyan10]

Yeah but we were great team during Sarfraz time hell no

Good post but the decay of team has been started from 2013

Pakistan were no.1 T20 side for 3 years under Sarfaraz

 

[Abid Z]

The Misbah Era: A Misstep That Derailed Pakistan Cricket




After the glorious high of the 2017 Champions Trophy win under the dynamic coaching of Mickey Arthur, Pakistan cricket stood at the threshold of sustained success. The team had youth, momentum, and belief. But in 2019, when Arthur was removed and replaced by Misbah-ul-Haq as both head coach and chief selector, that momentum came crashing down.




Lack of Vision and Tactical Clarity




Misbah inherited a team brimming with potential. However, his conservative mindset and defensive tactics failed to adapt to the demands of modern cricket. Under his leadership, the team often appeared clueless, especially in ODIs and T20s, with no clear game plan or identity. His selections lacked consistency and seemed driven by personal biases rather than merit or performance metrics.




Questionable Selection Choices





As chief selector, Misbah made several puzzling decisions. Players like Fakhar Zaman and Sarfaraz Ahmed who were instrumental in the Champions Trophy win were sidelined without solid justification. At the same time, players out of form were repeatedly given chances, undermining the merit-based system that Mickey Arthur had worked hard to build.





Fitness Over Form





Misbah’s obsession with fitness tests over actual on-field performance also hurt the team. While fitness is important, it cannot override form and match-winning ability. Many players were dropped for failing Yo-Yo tests, while others who passed them but underperformed on the field kept their spots. This not only confused fans and critics but demoralized players.





Stifling the Aggression





Under Mickey Arthur, Pakistan played aggressive, fearless cricket especially visible during the 2017 Champions Trophy. Misbah, known for his slow and steady approach as a player, brought that same philosophy into coaching. The result? A defensive, hesitant team unable to compete with the likes of India, England, or Australia. That spark, that fire Pakistan was known for, vanished.





Loss of Identity





Perhaps the biggest tragedy of Misbah’s tenure was that Pakistan lost its cricketing identity. Instead of building on the aggressive, passionate foundation laid by Arthur, Misbah introduced confusion and mediocrity. The team often looked like they were playing not to lose, rather than playing to win.











Conclusion





While Misbah-ul-Haq was a respectable captain, his dual role as head coach and chief selector after the 2017 Champions Trophy was a strategic blunder. Instead of taking Pakistan cricket forward, it set the team back several years. Removing Mickey Arthur a coach who had instilled professionalism, discipline, and fighting spirit was a grave error that many fans and analysts still regret today.

Now there is a massive problem replying to this because it would seem that if I say something to defend misbah it’ll be twisted into a binary…misbah good everyone else bad or vice versa.

I’m saying Pak cricket and its problems are way bigger than the captaincy era of misbah or his coaching stint, and isolated successes don’t matter one bit. Pak has been on a downward trajectory since 2003, there have been some limited success and moments when it looked like we could compete but these have been false dawns.

You can trace it to end of World Cup 2003 and wanting all new blood. A lot of players were introduced not one bowler went the distance.

You could look at the last 6 years hardly a single decent batsman (including babar)

You could say never has there been a settled management structure for 3 years or more with regular musical chairs at the top (unless it concerned dinosaurs like haroon and intakhab who lasted forever)

You could look at an awful domestic structure, poor fitness, lack of depth in quality squad where the same 12-15 guys get ground down, lack of a decent world class doctor able to diagnose injuries competently , you could look at quick hiring and firing of coaches if they are even qualified or competent. The list could go on and on.

All these issues are much bigger than misbah. In England or in India they first put good world class systems in place and then build slowly over many years. Pak have been forever short sighted in search of quick results and headlines.

 

[shah9425]

Pakistan were no.1 T20 side for 3 years under Sarfaraz

By beating b and c sides yeah I remember

 

[mominsaigol]

Yeah but we were great team during Sarfraz time hell no

Good post but the decay of team has been started from 2013

The reason we weren't a good team was because Pakistan has always been a mid card team even during its absolute peak.

During our absolute peak in the 90's we were still just okay, but we got extremely lucky In 1992 wc. It's seen with a narrow lens but we lost 4 games off the bat with one lucky rain escape.

Then everyone was always a bunny against Classic Australia. They were so far ahead of everyone that it was pointless to even play cricket at that time.

Then afterwards we weren't ever a good team but we always punched above our weight.

Our 2011 team is weak as heck yet managed to beat a really strong Sri Lanka side an average Australian side and nearly neat India if it wasn't for botching but strength wise we were below aus, NZ, Sa, Sri lanka and India in that cup.

same case with sarfi side. We have always been a team that punched up our weight but overall a mid card team.

But atm we aren't even that. Pakistan is a certified minnow. Sarfi's team was losing to top tier sides. 2018 India was the only exception however they have the largest talent pool so their B team is strong enough to compete with Most A teams.

Pakistan should not be getting wrecked by c to D team NZ or USA etc etc.

 

[mominsaigol]

By beating b and c sides yeah I remember

Again incorrect, we became no 1 by beating a full strength aussie side 2x.

You can say Australia was never a good t20 side and just happened to click in 2021 but aud was at full strength when we beat them in group stage and final