The ‘sick old man’ of cricket

Pakistan’s humiliating defeats to New Zealand in Karachi and India in Dubai, leading to an early exit from the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, are not mere losses but a disastrous indication of systemic collapse. Cricket, once our greatest unifier and source of pride, now risks fading into irrelevance as fans abandon the sport in despair. This is not just a sporting crisis but a national tragedy. The reasons are clear yet ignored. The selection committee’s baffling choices, favouring outdated reputations over current form, have left us with a squad incapable of competing in modern cricket. Our batters lack intent, our bowlers lack creativity, and our fielding remains an embarrassment. While the world embraces aggressive strategies, data-driven planning, and athleticism, we cling to archaic methods.

The PCB has failed to address glaring flaws in domestic cricket, youth development, and player fitness and the consequences are dire. For a nation with few global sporting achievements, cricket’s decline threatens to erase our identity. Redemption requires radical change. We need merit-based selections, integrating fearless youngsters and PSL performers over underperforming stars. Modern coaches must replace outdated mindsets, focusing on power-hitting, death bowling, and fielding. Most crucially, the PCB must become more transparent and accountable

Raja Saqlain Ahmed

Islamabad