- Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Since winning the Champions Trophy in 2017, Pakistan’s cricketing fortunes have declined, with the team finishing fifth in the last two ODI World Cups
By: India Weekly
PAKISTAN’S cricket team continues to invite scathing criticism a day after being knocked out of the Champions Trophy after New Zealand defeated Bangladesh by five wickets in a Group A match in Rawalpindi on Monday (24).
Sunil Gavaskar observed that the current Pakistan team would struggle to beat even a second-string Indian team.
India, the 2023 ODI World Cup finalists, defeated defending champions Pakistan by six wickets in the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Sunday, continuing their dominance over the arch-rivals.
“I think a B team (from India) certainly (can give Pakistan a run for their money). C team, I am not too sure. But a B team will be very, very hard to beat for Pakistan in their current form,” Gavaskar said on ‘Sports Today’.
Since winning the Champions Trophy in 2017, Pakistan’s cricketing fortunes have declined, with the team finishing fifth in the last two ODI World Cups.
“I think it’s surprising-this lack of bench strength. Pakistan always had natural talent. Natural in the sense that they may not have always been technically correct, but they had an instinctive understanding of bat and ball,” Gavaskar said.
“Look at Inzamam-ul-Haq, for example. If you look at his stance, you wouldn’t recommend that to a young batter, but he had great temperament. With that kind of temperament, he made up for any technical shortcomings.”
Gavaskar also noted that despite the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and domestic white-ball tournaments, Pakistan has struggled to produce quality players.
“How has India produced so many young stars in white-ball cricket? It’s because of the IPL,” said the former India skipper.
“Players from there have gone on to play in the Ranji Trophy and eventually for India. That is something Pakistan cricket must analyse. They need to figure out why they no longer have the bench strength they once did.”
A one-sided contest: Atherton
An India-Pakistan match is always a highly-anticipated event, but former England captain Michael Atherton believes the contest has become “one-sided” and the cricket does not live up to the hype.
“Well, it was completely one-sided,” Atherton said on Sky Sports Podcast.
“It looked very predictable from a long way out. An underpowered Pakistan batting line-up, as it was in that first game, actually, against New Zealand. There just seemed to lack a bit of energy and dynamism in the batting.”
India and Pakistan only meet in ICC events, and their clashes are often built up as blockbuster encounters.
“There’s a bit of an issue for that contest, isn’t it? Because it’s a highly anticipated contest for all kinds of reasons. Partly, you know, just because of the scarcity value. They only play each other in ICC events on neutral territory for obvious reasons,” he said.
“But there’s such hype around that fixture. You kind of want the cricket to live up to that hype as well. If you look at the results in the last 10 years, I think they’ve played each other nine times in ODIs in the last 10 years.
“Pakistan has only won once, and that was in that final in the Champions Trophy at the Oval. So, it’s a one-sided contest right now.”
Pakistan leads the head-to-head in ODIs, winning 73 and losing 58 in 136 games. Atherton feels Pakistan have lost the edge in the past decade.
Clueless management: Akhtar
Pace legend Shoaib Akhtar blasted Pakistan’s “brainless, and clueless” team management following the loss to India, saying the side entered the tournament without any “clear direction”.
“I am not disappointed at all (by the defeat to India) because I knew what would happen,” Akhtar said in a short video on his X account.
“You can’t select five bowlers? the whole world is playing six bowlers… you go with two all-rounders, this is just brainless and clueless management.”
The former quick blamed the management for selecting a side that lacked the necessary skills and understanding to compete at the highest level.
“I am really disappointed. We can’t blame the kids (Pakistan players); The players are just as clueless as the team management is! They don’t know what to do.
The former pacer also questioned the Pakistan players’ intent and skills.
“Intent is a another matter, they don’t have the skill-set like Rohit, Virat, and Shubman. Neither the players know anything, nor the management. They have just gone to play without any clear direction.
“No one knows what they should do.”
“When you tell Virat that he has to play a match against Pakistan, he will come prepared and then he will score a century. Hats off to him..he’s a superstar, white ball run chaser, modern day great,” Akhtar said congratulating the Indian star.
Kohli also became the fastest to reach 14,000 ODI runs during his innings.
“He’s an honest guy. He completed 14,000 runs also. I hope he makes 100 hundreds because it’s important that the guys gets it all.”
Imran Khan upset: Sister
Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan is upset with the performance of his country’s cricket team in the ongoing Champions Trophy, according to his sister Aleema Khan.
“The PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) founder expressed great sadness over losing the match against India,” Aleema told the media outside Adiala Jail Rawalpindi after meeting Imran.
Aleema said that the charismatic former cricketer, who led Pakistan to the 1992 World Cup title, also questioned the cricketing credentials of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
“Imran said cricket will be eventually destroyed when favourites are put in decision-making positions,” said Aleema, adding that the cricketer-turned-politician watched the match between the arch-foes.
Poor team selection: Sana Mir
Former Pakistan women’s captain Sana Mir has joined the chorus of criticism against the men’s cricket team for its early exit from the Champions Trophy, saying that even a talisman like Mahendra Singh Dhoni cannot change the fortunes of the embattled side.
“The 15 that have been selected (in Champions Trophy squad), even if you make MS Dhoni or (former Pakistan skipper) Younis Khan captain, nobody can do anything to the team because it has not been selected on the basis of the playing conditions,” said Mir on ‘Game On Hai’ programme.
“I was watching the match when I got a message from a friend that India are 100 for 2 ‘I think it’s over’. So, I said the match was over when the squad was announced,” said the 39-year-old cricketer-turned-commentator.
Mir, who played more than 300 white-ball games mainly as a right-arm spinner, said Pakistan had not selected the team on the basis of the conditions.
“Half the tournament we had lost when we announced the 15-member squad, and I am saying this from day one.
“They (selectors) knew that Pakistan had to play at least one match in Dubai, so how did you bring two part-time spinners.
“Abrar (Ahmed), who is still new in ODI cricket… in the last five months, they have taken two wickets conceding 165 runs. The selectors removed key players who played in last two series against Australia and South Africa,” said Mir.
Abrar just managed one wicket in 10 overs against India, though he was the most economical among Pakistan bowlers, conceding 28 runs.
“Irfan (Khan) Niazi was a good fielder, showed good power-hitting (in the T20I and ODI series against South Africa)… so, we lost the tournament when we announced the squad.” (PTI)
