Pakistan Cricket Team is going through a tough phase at the moment. There was a time in the early 1980s to 2000s when the Pakistan Cricket Team used to play dominating cricket, competing worldwide. But we have seen a major decline in Pakistan cricket over the last few years. A lot of former Pakistani cricketers like Wasim Akram, Imran Khan, Ramiz Raja, etc have exposed Pakistan cricket’s flaws and criticized the team, their board, and management over the poor performance of the Pakistan Cricket Team.

Today, we will discuss the reasons for the Pakistan Cricket Team’s downfall and how they can improve. We will also examine Pakistan’s performances over the last few years across formats. So, let’s start.

Pakistan Cricket Team Performances Over The Years (Since 2019 ODI World Cup)

First thing first, let’s discuss Pakistan’s performances across formats over the years. Although the Pakistan Cricket Team has not been the same as they were for a while now, we are talking about the sample size since the 2019 ODI World Cup.

In the ICC ODI World Cup 2019, Pakistan finished at No. 5 in the points table. They did well in the T20 WC 2021 In the Group Stage and in Super 12, but lost the semifinal against Australia. In the 2022 T20 WC, they played the final but reached the top 4 with the help of other results like the Netherlands beating South Africa, and the SA vs ZIM match having no result due to rain.

In the Asia Cup 2022, they lost the final against Sri Lanka and didn’t reach the final of the Asia Cup 2023. Pakistan Cricket Team did not even reach the next stage of the ICC T20 WC 2024 and got out of the tournament by losing to the USA. In the CT 2025, they lost the first two games and were eliminated from the tournament within five days.

In between these ICC and Asia Cup tournaments, they did win a few big bilateral white-ball series here and there, but that is not what the Pakistan Cricket Team was used to known for. They did not win a single test match from 2020 to 2024 at home until they prepared rank turners against England in the last two tests. They also lost a home test series against Bangladesh.

Reasons for Pakistan Cricket Team Downfall Over The Years

• Poor Cricket Board and Management:-

There is a lack of continuity in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) administration. As of April 04, 2025, the PCB chairman position has been changed six times since August 2017.

In August 2017, Najam Sethi took the position from Shaharyar Khan and held the position for one year. Ehsan Mani took the position in August 2018 and left after three years. Ramiz Raja, in September 2021 took the position and left in December 2022. Najam Sethi again came in for almost six months before Zaka Ashraf was made the president in July 2023. In February 2024, Mohsin Naqvi took charge and still holding the position.

Too many changes in PCB administration didn’t help the Pakistan Cricket Team. Every individual has their mindset and way of running, and instability didn’t allow them to executive something for the betterment of Pakistan Cricket. Also, there is too much instability in the position of PCB’s CEO.

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• Too Much Changes In The Captaincy:-

We have seen a lot of changes in the captaincy and leadership role in the Pakistan Cricket Team. The PCB sacked Babar Azam from the captaincy after the 2023 ODI WC and made Shaheen Afridi a new captain in white-ball cricket. But, after just one bad series, Shaheen was also sacked as captain and Babar again became the captain. After a while, Mohammad Rizwan becomes the captain of the ODI team, again leaving Babar aside.

In the last few years, we have also heard rifts between some big Pakistan players regarding the captaincy.

• Rift and Groupism In The Dressing Room:-

This point is the extension of the last point we have made in the point (2). We have read quite a few reports on Pakistan players’ rift inside the dressing room. Even some of the big former Pakistan players said these things publicly. There is also a group inside the PAK dressing room.

• Favoritism In The Selection:-

We have also seen favoritism in the selection process, whether it is from the side of selectors or from the current PAK captain.

• Instability In The Selection Panel:-

Not just in the PCB administration or in the captaincy role, there is a lot of instability in the selection panel. PCB’s selection panel has been changed quite a few times in the last few years.

• Players Wants To Play T20 Leagues:-

There are so many Pakistani players who do not want to play test cricket. They don’t even want to play white-ball cricket regularly and want to feature in various T20 leagues around the world. It’s a good thing that the PCB has restricted its players from participating in more than two leagues a year—otherwise, things could’ve gotten even worse.

• Declining Domestic Structure:-

Pakistan’s domestic cricket system has suffered due to inconsistent policies. Poor pitches, lack of quality coaches, and improper scheduling have hindered player development. Pakistan lacks proper academies and scouting systems for young talent.

• Bowling Decline – Once a Strength, Now a Weakness

There used to be a factory of fast bowling in the country. But now, this is not the case. We have not seen a big fast bowler who is an all-format regular, who has the skill and pace, and who is playing regularly. Even the country lacks quality spinners whether it is in white-ball cricket or in red-ball cricket.

• Lack of Batting Depth:-

In the last decade or so, we have not seen a Pakistani batter who has the potential to become a big player. Yes, there is Babar Azam who was once seen as the next big thing in PAK cricket, but he has under-achieved in his career as of now. In white-ball cricket, they lack a hard-hitter who can consistently score runs and make an impact in the middle or lower middle order.

Pakistan’s mindset is still an old school in limited-overs cricket.

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• Lack of stability in coaching and development:-

In the last few years, the PCB has failed to retain a big coach for the team. Recently, Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten resigned from the Pakistan Cricket Team’s coaching. There have been a few more cases like these in the last few years in PCB. The lack of proper coaches and no proper mentoring system didn’t help the PCB in the growth of cricket in the country.

You can check Gillespie quitting the Pakistan Cricket Team as a coach news HERE

• Fitness and Fielding Standards Goes Down:-

The Pakistani players’ fitness levels have gone down massively over the years. Their fielding standard has also gone low, as we can see in the matches as well.

• Security Concerns, Lack of Home International Cricket, and External Factors:-

Pakistani players didn’t get much international cricket at home, unlike other big teams. There are security concerns in the country and other teams have to think twice before touring Pakistan. We have also seen the fixtures being canceled due to security concerns. PCB also did not get the opportunity to host Champions Trophy 2025 fully, due to India’s reluctance. Political tensions with India also did not help Pakistan in growth, as the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) is a very powerful cricket board around the world.

CONCLUSION

So these are a few possible reasons why the Pakistan Cricket Team is going down. Now, the question is how they can improve and still be a force in world cricket. The answer is simple: fix all the above problems and hope for the best. Give your players some freedom, and hire the right people for the right role, without any favoritism. We have seen there are so many legendary cricketers of Pakistan who have made their own YouTube channels and criticized their team. This is not a solution.

What do you think? Will Pakistan Cricket again be back on its feet? Comment your opinion below. Thank you for reading. We hope you find it informative. Keep following us for the latest updates, opinions, analysis, stories, and more.