PAKISTAN’S team management has pleaded for time and patience. Cricket head coach Aaqib Javed took responsibility for Pakistan’s dismal Champions Trophy campaign but said that the side’s lack of experience proved costly. Assistant coach Azhar Mahmood blamed it on the lack of trust and the scant time offered to players to start performing. Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan vowed the team would work harder and return stronger. Sadly, Pakistan cricket is back at the same place — a place it seemed to have escaped following its disappointing campaigns at the 2023 ODI World Cup and 2024 Twenty20 World Cup. The ODI series triumphs in Australia and South Africa had reinforced the belief that the team was back on track — until its flop show at the Champions Trophy at home. Past failings returned to haunt; losses against New Zealand and India were followed by a washout against Bangladesh as Pakistan ended at the bottom of their group. Aqib Javed noted that Pakistan had failed to make the best use of home conditions — teams such as Australia and New Zealand, who had beaten Rizwan’s men twice in the preceding tri-nation series, have shown what it takes to win. Talk of an overhaul is rife; many former Pakistan greats are vocal about following merit in team selections and the need for consistency in the Pakistan Cricket Board leadership and decisions, as well as fostering an aggressive mindset in the team.

All this has been talked about earlier too. However, little has been done to address the problem. Aqib Javed was keen on backing the big guns — batters Babar Azam and Rizwan, and pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah — stating they were Pakistan’s best. For a team that once had a number of players waiting to make the jump to the national team, this is alarming. The big guns failed to fire, the promising newcomers having flattered to deceive. The disappointing Champions Trophy campaign comes after the team’s struggles in other formats. Pakistan finished at the bottom of the World Test Championship table. They lost all the T20s they played in South Africa and Australia. Pakistan cricket needs a reset. A long-term plan is needed to restore national cricket to its former glory, as the sport is in danger of following the declining trajectory of hockey and squash. The PCB has to act — fast.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2025