Pakistan Cricket’s Decline: A Story of Political Influence and Poor Leadership
Pakistan cricket did not reach the brink of collapse overnight—both the government and former cricket legends have played a major role in its downfall. Every chairman has used their political influence, whether it was Najam Sethi, Ehsan Mani, Zaka Ashraf, or Mohsin Naqvi.
As soon as a new chairman took charge, they surrounded themselves with their preferred former players, handing over control of cricket to them. This marked the beginning of Pakistan cricket’s decline. The final blow was dealt by franchise cricket (PSL), which has been run by non-professionals who have maintained their positions through group politics for the past ten years.
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Cricket or Just a Money-Making Business?
Pakistan’s former cricketers seem more interested in making money—whether through commentary, coaching, TV analysis, or mentorship. However, they have failed to succeed in any of these roles and have contributed little to Pakistan cricket’s progress.
To save its reputation, the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) placed its own former players on different TV channels. Ironically, there was a time when the PCB chairman himself stated that those who criticize on TV would never be given roles in the board—yet today, the same legends are sitting on TV screens. It reflects the weakness of these individuals, who survive only by relying on political backing.
PCB’s Internal Politics & Captaincy Chaos
The PCB has deliberately placed players on different channels to cover up its internal problems. A well-settled team was destroyed due to power struggles over captaincy. This trend worsened when:
- Najam Sethi appointed Shadab Khan as captain.
- Zaka Ashraf—under the influence of former players—made Shaheen Afridi the captain.
- Mohsin Naqvi later reinstated Babar Azam as captain after pressure from former cricketers.
- When Babar stepped down, Rizwan was made captain.
These endless captaincy musical chairs have severely damaged the team’s stability and morale.
Political Appointments Over Merit
Every PCB chairman has been appointed based on political connections rather than merit. Current and former players are merely pawns in a bigger political game, where the chairman is controlled by government ministers, who can remove them just as easily.
Where It All Went Wrong
Pakistan cricket’s downfall truly began when Ehsan Mani removed Sarfaraz Ahmed from captaincy. Since that day, it has been on a continuous downward spiral.
An Urgent Plea to the Government
To revive Pakistan cricket, the government must take immediate action:
- End political appointments in the PCB.
- Amend the PCB constitution to prevent the chairman from interfering in selection matters.
- Remove the chairman’s authority to appoint the captain.
If these fundamental flaws are not addressed soon, Pakistan cricket might even start losing to teams like Bhutan.
