Pakistan’s cricket has experienced soaring highs and humiliating lows throughout its turbulent history, particularly in the recent past. However, the latest catastrophe at the Champions Trophy 2025 — where the team crashed out unceremoniously in the first round — represents the most damning indictment yet of the systemic rot that has crippled the sport.

A team that once struck fear into the hearts of the world's best sides has now been reduced to an afterthought, an irrelevant force in the unforgiving landscape of modern cricket. This descent into mediocrity has not been accidental; it has been engineered by years of unchecked incompetence, administrative malpractice, and an absolute disregard for professional excellence by those tasked with overseeing the game in this cricket-obsessed nation.

At the heart of this disaster is the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), an institution that has long abandoned meritocracy in favor of political appointments, nepotism, and a culture of impunity. What should have been a beacon of professionalism has instead become a breeding ground for mediocrity, where decisions are made not based on cricketing acumen but on personal affiliations and political patronage.

PCB has functioned as a fiefdom for chairmen who appoint their loyalists

The PCB, rather than acting as a steward for the sport’s progress, has functioned as a fiefdom for chairmen who appoint their loyalists — ex-players with outdated mindsets, failed administrators with no strategic vision, bureaucrats with no cricketing expertise, and sycophants whose primary qualification is their ability to pander to those in power.

The consequences of this disastrous governance are painfully evident. Pakistan’s domestic cricket remains in shambles, with a structure that fails to groom and nurture talent for the global stage. The country's once-famed pace factory now sputters, unable to produce bowlers of the caliber that once made Pakistan an international powerhouse.

The batting unit, perpetually fragile, continues to lack temperament, technique, and the resilience required for modern-day cricket. Spin department has been utterly in disarray. Fitness standards, a cornerstone of elite-level performance, are woefully subpar, exposing the glaring absence of a professional ethos within the system.

 The Champions Trophy fiasco

Pakistan’s early exit from the Champions Trophy was not just a disappointment — it was a disaster waiting to happen. The warning signs were there long before the tournament began. In the home Triangular series barely a few days before the ICC event, Pakistan suffered two successive defeats against New Zealand, a team that once struggled to compete with the subcontinent’s cricketing giants.

Then came the Champions Trophy 2025 opener, where New Zealand dismantled Pakistan with ease, exposing the team’s lack of preparedness in home conditions. However, the final blow came against arch-rivals India in Dubai riding on the charismatic Virat Kohli’s fantastic hundred, where Pakistan crumbled and crashed out of the tournament in the most ignominious fashion.

What made these losses so painful was not just the margins of defeat but also the manner in which Pakistan cricket team played — directionless; outdated; and mentally fatigued and fragile. The team lacked clarity in approach, a well-structured game plan, the resilience and game-awareness required to compete at the highest level. While other teams have embraced modern cricketing methods, including sports science, data-driven strategies, and specialized coaching, Pakistan remains trapped in an outdated system that thrives on favoritism rather than performance.

The proficiency gap between Pakistan and top-tier teams was painfully evident. Whether it was game awareness, situational adaptability, individual roles, intent, fitness levels, or mental fortitude, Pakistani cricketers seemed far behind the guest players and appeared quite pedestrian in comparison.

As far as the team combo is concerned, Pakistan have been without specialized openers who could play modern Test and ODI cricket. The team lacks quality fast bowlers who could clock 145-150 kph consistently. It has been deprived of the services of handy all-rounders and big hitters. Saeed Ajmal, Adul Rehman, and Yasir Shah filled the shoes of Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq in spin bowling. However, since the departure of Saeed Ajmal and Yasir Shah, the team has badly struggled to find quality leg or off spinners.

Teams like Australia, England, New Zealand, and particularly India have revolutionized their approach to the game by focusing on player development, workload management, and analytical insights. Meanwhile, Pakistan continues to rely on the same archaic selection policies and flawed training regimens, expecting different results.

A victim of cronyism

Pakistan cricket has long suffered from institutional incompetence, but this latest spree of favoritism is particularly egregious. Instead of rewarding mediocrity and cronyism, the PCB must focus on overhauling the system, defining clear roles with measurable goals, and prioritizing merit over personal connections. Anything less is a betrayal of Pakistan cricket’s future.

The favoritism does not end here. Commentary booths and cushy administrative roles have become another avenue for PCB to dispense favors. Whether it is ex-cricketers offering little analytical depth or individuals given roles based on past associations rather than merit, the result is an erosion of quality, professionalism, and credibility. Pakistan cricket needs sharp minds who can articulate the game’s evolution, but instead, it gets a revolving door of familiar faces cashing easy cheques.

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, like many before him, has surrounded himself with loyalists rather than professionals. Instead of hiring experienced coaches, analysts, and administrators who could modernize the system, the board has indulged in a blatant patronage scheme — appointing close associates to key roles regardless of their qualifications.

Pakistan cricket, a tale of squandered potential, is once again mired in the vicious cycle of favoritism and shortsighted decision-making. This time, the absurd mentorship appointments have raised eyebrows, exposing the PCB’s lack of vision and its tendency to reward old allies rather than invest in real, structural progress.

The PCB, seemingly allergic to accountability, has turned these roles into lucrative retirement plans rather than engines for genuine cricketing development

Take the recent appointments of former captains and cricketers, including Waqar Younis, Saqlain Mushtaq, Misbah-ul-Haq, Sarfraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik — each earning a staggering Rs 5 million per month. These former stalwarts of the game have been parachuted into mentorship roles without any tangible KPIs or strategic roadmaps. Interestingly, these PCB mentors were seen sitting on TV channels during the Champions Trophy, telling what's wrong with PCB’s system. The irony is just unmatchable – being both the doctor and the patient.

The PCB, seemingly allergic to accountability, has turned these roles into lucrative retirement plans rather than engines for genuine cricketing development. With Pakistan’s domestic system in shambles, pitches unfit for serious cricket, and players left to navigate their careers with minimal guidance, one has to wonder: is this about mentorship, or is it just another money grab?

Then there is Wahab Riaz, the poster child beneficiary of PCB’s nepotism. His ascent to an influential position has little to do with his cricketing acumen and everything to do with his proximity to Naqvi. What exactly has Wahab contributed to the team’s progress? Under his watch, Pakistan’s white-ball performance has deteriorated, selections have been erratic, and the team’s morale has plummeted. Yet, he remains untouchable, shielded by his political connections.

The PCB has been reduced to become a haven for retired cricketers-turned-yes-men who are given cushy roles as selectors, managers, commentators, and analysts—not based on their knowledge of the game, but simply because they echo the chairman’s narrative. Their primary job is not to improve the team but to justify every blunder and cover up the board’s failures. The lows of the Pakistan cricket could be gauged from the appointment of a statistician, who earlier used to be a so-called football analyst, as the selector of the national team. To rub salt into the wounds, the PCB has included a retired international umpire in the national cricket team selection committee.

Dearth of quality cricketers

The PCB’s mismanagement is not just limited to team selection or mentor appointments. It reflects a broader systemic issue where political appointees use the board as a tool for personal gains and patronage. The lack of accountability and transparency has allowed successive PCB chiefs to operate with impunity, making decisions that serve their interests rather than the future of Pakistan cricket. 

The consequences of this mismanagement are evident in the national team’s declining performance. Once known for its unpredictability and flair, the Pakistan cricket team now struggles to compete with top-tier nations. The domestic cricket structure, which should serve as the backbone of the national team, is in shambles, with young talent being stifled by a system that rewards connections over competence.

The biggest tragedy is that Pakistan, once a factory of raw, world-class talent, no longer produces cricketers capable of competing at the highest level. The reasons are clear: Instead of strengthening the domestic structure, the PCB has experimented with “half-baked reforms” that have left young cricketers with no proper pathway to international cricket. Also, a lack of competitive cricket, inadequate financial incentives, and a failure to develop players mentally and technically have resulted in a generation of underprepared cricketers. Currently, any performer in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) can easily get the ticket for the national cricket team selection.

Countries like India, England, New Zealand, and Australia invest in high-performance centers, sports science, and professional coaching at the junior level. Pakistan, meanwhile, still relies on a system that produces cricketers through pure luck rather than structured development.

Instead of grooming young talent, the selectors continue to back tried-and-failed players, recycling the same faces in a desperate attempt to avoid accountability. The lack of long-term succession planning has left Pakistan without quality replacements in key positions.

Pakistan has failed to develop modern-day coaching methodologies. While other nations utilize cutting-edge analysis, biomechanics, and mental conditioning, Pakistan still relies on outdated coaching techniques and personal biases.

Fixing this mess

If Pakistan cricket is to have any hope of remaining relevant in world cricket, it needs urgent, radical changes. First, the chairman and board officials should be appointed based on competence, not political connections. The PCB must operate independently of political interference.

Secondly, the selection process must be made transparent, with clear performance metrics rather than personal connections dictating who plays for Pakistan.

A proper domestic structure with strong financial incentives for first-class cricketers must be put in place, ensuring that talented players have a pathway to international cricket. Pakistan must establish elite training programs, academies, and coaching structures similar to those in Australia and England. We need to move away from playing the archaic white ball cricket. We need fearless young cricketers with sound technique. Instead of handing jobs to ex-players based on friendship, the PCB must hire professional analysts, fitness experts, and modern-day coaches who can help Pakistan adapt to the evolving landscape of cricket.

Adapt or fade away

The downfall dates back more than two decades. Political interference continued, while contradictory PCB policies became the norm. Foreign coaches were hired only to be sent packing, selectors were whimsically nominated, and old discards were recruited to mentor and manage. Ultimately, player power, clash of egos, and internal team grouping came to prevail over inapt managements. The horrible results are before us.

The time has come for a complete overhaul of the PCB. The appointment of the chairman and key officials must be based on merit, not political connections. The selection process for the national team must be transparent and performance-driven, with a focus on nurturing young talent. The PCB’s financial resources should be allocated strategically, with a clear emphasis on both developing infrastructure and grassroots cricket. 

Pakistan cricket deserves better. It deserves a governing body that prioritizes the sport’s future over personal interests. The fans, who have stood by the team through thick and thin, deserve a team they can be proud of. The current state of affairs is a betrayal of their trust and a disservice to the rich legacy of Pakistan cricket. 

Pakistan’s shameful Champions Trophy exit should be a wake-up call. If the PCB continues to be run like a personal kingdom rather than a professional institution, Pakistan cricket will soon become irrelevant. The choice is clear: embrace modernity, professionalism, and meritocracy — or accept cricketing mediocrity as the new normal.

Pakistan needs to rid itself of the parasites feasting on its cricketing ecosystem, and institute a regime based on merit, accountability, and long-term vision. Otherwise, its cricketing fortunes will continue to plummet. However, if history is any indicator, it is unlikely that those in charge will heed the warnings.

We can certainly restore our cricket fortunes if we recognize the nature of the problems and marshal the integrity, experience, knowledge and professionalism required to do the job. Unless drastic measures are taken to address these issues, the downfall of Pakistan cricket will continue, and the dream of reclaiming past glory will remain just that — a dream.