Cricket experts berate Pakistan’s Champions Trophy exit, loss to India

After the hosts crashed out of the Champions Trophy in the group stage, just a week after celebrating the return of a major tournament, gloom and demands for major changes have swept Pakistan’s cricket-crazy nation.

The titleholders were 60 runs short of New Zealand in their opening match on Wednesday in Karachi, before Sunday’s six-wicket defeat to archrivals India put them on the verge of an early exit.

Pakistan’s slim chances of reaching the semifinals were in jeopardy when Bangladesh defeated New Zealand on Monday, but the outcome was unexpected.

Thursday’s game with Bangladesh in Rawalpindi has been reduced to a dead-rubber match.

Former captain Wasim Akram told the AFP news agency, “We have been backing these players for a while, but they are not learning or getting better.”

“It is time for a major shake-up. To produce high-quality cricketers, not just ordinary ones, we must modernize our domestic cricket system.

Domestic cricket has been blamed for failing to prepare players for the world stage due to a lack of competitiveness and poor playing conditions.

According to critics, the cricket board, coaching teams, and selection panels are frequently changed, preventing the sport in Pakistan.

Such changes are driven by politics and not merit, according to observers.

Former Pakistani cricket captain Rashid Latif remarked, “I feel very despondent with the state of cricket.”

“We must respect merit and employ professionals in the game’s administration rather than people on a political basis.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), selection committee, and captains have repeatedly failed to form a proper team and setup.

After experiencing significant security improvements, a nation that had relished hosting its first major cricket tournament in 29 years is in agony over the early elimination eliminations.

Shahid Afridi, a former Pakistani captain and well-known all-rounder, claimed Pakistan was playing dated cricket.

He claimed that while other teams had advanced well and had adopted an aggressive and modern style in 2025, Pakistan was playing the 1980s and 1990s cricket style.

To produce players with an aggressive mindset, we need a complete overhaul of the system.

Cricket is no longer popular in Pakistan.

” We were thrilled that an international event had finally returned to our country, but the joy was short-lived, “said 26-year-old Umar Siraj, a pharmacist in Rawalpindi.

He laughed as he said, “The hardest part of being a Pakistan fan is that you end up praying for other teams to lose.” It’s painful. I’m gutted. “

Pakistan’s Champions Trophy flop is nothing new. In India, they also lost in the first round of the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Following that, they both lost last year’s Twenty20 World Cup, which neighboring India won in India and the United States.

After drawing a home series against the West Indies, Pakistan came in ninth and last place overall in the World Test Championship.

The latest debacle, and on home soil, represents a new low.

” It is disappointing that they didn’t even put up a fight, “said Naseem Satti, a 46-year-old government worker.

” We have no quality bowlers, no reliable batters and it seems cricket is dead in Pakistan. “

Asma Batool, a 52-year-old housewife, underlined just what cricket means to people in Pakistan.

” Cricket is the only source of entertainment for our youth, “she said.

” Our nation finds solace in this game. “

Injuries, poor form deal lethal blows

In October, Mohammad Rizwan became Pakistan’s white-ball skipper, leading the team to their first series victory in 22 years against world champions Australia.

They also won in Zimbabwe and inflicted on South Africa their first home whitewash, with a 3-0 scoreline.

However, Saim Ayub, a quick-rising opener, injured his ankle in a subsequent Test in South Africa, and Pakistan put a hold on the announcement of their Champions Trophy squad, waiting until the injury-prone left-hander could not recover.

After the first match, which included a 60-run defeat to New Zealand, Fakhar Zaman, who had a muscle injury, was told not to play the rest of the tournament to add to the home team’s issues.

Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf, who were rested from the Test series, looked rusty and failed to control the death overs in Pakistan’s much-anticipated pace attack.

When Zaman was ruled out, the team brought in Imam-ul-Haq as a replacement. He only managed 10 wickets as title rivals India defeated Pakistan by six wickets.

In a surprise move, they included in the squad all-rounders Khushdil Shah and Faheem Ashraf on the basis of their performances in Bangladesh’s Twenty20 league. For the first time in two years, Ashraf and Khushdil had played one.

Latif called these choices” political selection”, blaming outside influence.

Fans blame the “losers” mindset.

For the fans, the loss against India brought a now-familiar heartache.

Customers asked Moiz Umer, a cafe owner in Karachi, to change the TV channel so they wouldn’t suffer the humiliation of seeing their Champions Trophy loss to India.

” For large parts of the Indian innings, a good number of people turned their backs to the match – facing their friends instead of the screen, such was the disappointment, “said the 45-year-old in the city of Karachi.

After their tense encounter in the ICC T20 World Cup, the fans who couldn’t help but watch as India defeated Pakistan for the second time in eight months at an ICC event.

Zain Mursaleen, 42, said, “It was such a big match and we went down with a whimper,” among the roughly 100 spectators in deflated moods who had gathered to watch the game in Karachi.

Pakistan failed to produce that kind of cricket again, saying “we love to see that.”

Before India’s star batter Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 100, the atmosphere was gloomy in the garrison city that borders Islamabad’s capital.

” They came to the game with a loser’s mindset and never attempted to attack, “said 53-year-old chef Rasheed Saleem”. I don’t think they realize how repulsive watching their fans go through this.

Source: Aljazeera