The last game of the Pakistan cricket team in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 was washed out due to rain. However, the match between the defending champions and Bangladesh was not the only thing that was abandoned. The fans also felt abandoned by the team, by the cricket board, and most importantly, by the system. The tournament host became the first team to say goodbye to the tournament. The list of things that went wrong before, during, and after the tournament is long.
Saim Ayub’s Injury & Selection Blunders
The fate of cricket in the land of sorrows is uncertain, but one thing is certain, and it is that the cricket enthusiasts in the country are tired of hearing “tum jeeto ya haaro, humein tumse pyaar hai” (whether you win or lose, we love you), they yearn to listen to “geo to aise” (live like this). Saim’s injury came as a significant setback for the team and the management. Seeing him bat in the previous series felt like a dream, but the dream shattered when he was deemed unfit to be a part of the champions’ trophy. The selectors then had one job to do: find a replacement for the young opener. Unfortunately, they did everything except that.
The combination of the team that was able to defeat Australia in Australia was torn apart. The inclusion of Faheem Ashraf raised concerns; Haseebullah Khan and Irfan Ullah Khan Niazi not being part of the team also came as a shock. Nevertheless, going with only one specialist spinner in the squad took the cake. The selectors seemed clueless off the stadium; the players seemed clueless on the stadium.
Failure in Group Matches
The team lost to New Zealand in their first game, and the defeat felt strikingly similar to the losses they had suffered in their previous two matches against the Kiwis. The funny thing is how the fans could point out what needed to be improved, but the boys in green had their eyes shut. Once again, the team could not get over the line and failed to chase the target. The match against the arch-rivals India saw a similar script. The Shaheens chose to bat and were able to put up only 241 on the scoreboard, a score which was definitely not enough for the bowlers to defend against the mighty Indian batters. Even a 270 score at the Dubai pitch would have been challenging, but the batting approach was a hurdle in achieving that.
From being extremely slow in the powerplay to playing too many dot bowls to building up unnecessary pressure to gifting away the wickets, the team killed any remaining hope of qualifying for the semi-finals. The absence of quality spinners in the bowling lineup meant that the Indian batters, especially Kohli, were able to chase this target quite conveniently. The famous phrase “Kohli, nahi hota tujhse chase” (Kohli, you won’t be able to chase this) was simply not true anymore.
Defending Champions Early Exit – A Tournament to Forget
It would not be wrong to say that the team played defending cricket, and that defending cricket was the reason that the title could not be defended. On 19th February 2025, the Defending Champions officially ended their journey in the tournament that they were hosting. The matches were to be played in Pakistan, but the defending champions were not to be in those matches. With the last match against the Bengal Tigers not being played, the ninth edition of the Champions Trophy was a winless campaign. Many teams lose and get kicked out of the tournament; that is how a sport works, but what is frustrating as a fan is witnessing the substandard cricket being played. There was no Pakistani batter in the top 25 run scorers, and there was no Pakistani bowler in the top 25 wicket takers. To sum it up, there was a great difference between the defending champions and the other teams who made their way to the knockouts.
The Deeper Issues – Mismanagement & Politics in Cricket
Like its politics, Pakistan cricket suffers from mismanagement, incompetence, and blame games. Until the root causes are acknowledged and dealt with, the team will also keep struggling with the abovementioned things. The Pakistan Cricket Board’s chairman changes faster than six balls are bowled in an over. This alone explains how things go down. The party in the majority appoints the chairman it likes; the chairman brings his own management, and it does not even matter if the chosen people are capable of being part of the system.
With this, merit and Pakistan cricket die a slow death. If a quick look at the current management is taken, we can see numerous people who were not great as cricketers and lack the necessary qualities to be part of the system. They are being rewarded not only with a position but also with hefty money.
Pakistan Cricket’s Never-Ending Politics
The politics of the country affect cricket, but the cricket environment of Pakistan also has a great deal of politics. Journalism is biased; it thrives on sensationalism and lies. Recently, the Pakistan team has experienced more changes in the coaching department than it has experienced winning big matches and tournaments. Two competent coaches were forced to resign, only for a PSL team coach to step in and take the reins. If this was not embarrassing enough, one of the former coaches also called the current coach a clown and shed light on what went behind the doors. When it comes to player management, we also do not have the best track record.
If a player fails to perform in a specific format, he is dropped from the format he is actually good at. One would also think that the best bowlers are saved from playing meaningless bilateral series so they can be at their full fitness and potential in big tournaments. But that is also just a thought and not the truth.
The Harsh Truth: Pakistan Cricket Must Evolve
As they say, if you want to learn, you must evolve. It seems like we are still stuck in the same cycle. Cricket is being mixed up with politics, and the results are in front of the whole cricketing world to see. If Pakistan is to play competitive cricket and establish itself as a force to be reckoned with, the whole system needs to be revamped. It would mean keeping cricket separate from politics, bringing stability and certainty, hiring competent management who knows modern cricket, and instilling discipline and unity in the team. Then maybe, if the odds are in our favor, we might see the team with an ICC trophy or, if I am being greedy, trophies. The fans deserve to witness cricket for the sheer joy it brings, not merely as a stage for character development. Here’s looking at you, men in green.
