PCB’s mismanagement, uncertainty, and poor infrastructure has endangered the future of Pakistan cricket despite immense potential.
It is morning, I just finished suffering. Pakistan is playing cricket in New Zealand. A common batting end has begun, there is nothing new for Pakistani cricket fans. However, looking at the batting line, my confidence is in his dim. Perhaps for the first time in 40 years, the television was turned off and I fell asleep, unable to bear to see more.
Later, I discovered that Pakistan was dismissed for just 91 runs, and was playing more than more than 4 runs. While New Zealand easily pursued the target, scoring ten runs per over, losing only one wicket.
Pakistan cricket has always been a factory of raw, immoral capabilities. From the streets of Karachi to the mountains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, cricket operates in the veins of the nation. Nevertheless, despite a major talent pool, Pakistan permanently falls internationally.
Reason? A system that is not skilled, but designed to destroy it.
The PCB has become synonymous with chaos and instability. Coachs change frequently, the chairman comes and goes on the basis of political affiliations rather than mastery, and the players are wasted voluntarily. This rotating door of leadership has led to a culture of insecurity among the players, which prevents them from developing world -class players.
Let’s look at the current Pakistan cricketers’ ICC Awards.
Babar Azam: Multiple ODI Cricketer of the Year Awards, T20 Cricketer of the Year, Ultimat Sir Garfield Sobar Trophy (only Pakistani ever won). ODIs of the year four times and the T20 team of the year several times. Test team of the year. He is the most decorated Pakistani cricketer in the ICC Awards so far.
Mohammad Rizwan: T20I year cricketer and the T20I team of the year
Shaheen Afridi: Cricketer of the Year, Test Team of the Year, T20 Team of the Year
Hassan Ali: The emerging cricketer of the year, the ODI team of the Year
Fakhr Zaman: ODIs of the year
Shadab Khan: T20I team of the year
Emad Wasim: T20I team of the year
Despite their proven abilities and their promise to the cricketing future of Pakistan, it is surprising that their career should have rise, none of these players currently enjoy a permanent place or real security in the national team’s setup. Instead of preparing confidence, assuring players, players face uncertainty about their role permanently, even in the middle of talks about their team’s ability to captain. This lack of stability and distant concern not only dissipates their confidence, but also clearly illustrates the disturbing state of cricket.
Pakistan’s best wicketkeeper batsman and the world’s best, Mohammad Rizwan, has been the foundation stone of the team’s batting lineup in the past few years.
She is in the super form with the bat and her constant temperament and reliability behind the stump makes her indispensable for any team. Nevertheless, the PCB left it from the national squad, clearly masking its administrative failures.
Babar Azam, in particular, in particular, has faced significant criticism, he is often accused of not a “match winning”, yet he has a 23 international man of the match awards in all formats. If a Man -off match award does not indicate winning performance, what does it do?
Interestingly, Javed Minded, who was widely celebrated as one of Pakistan’s biggest winners, submitted 23 such awards even though he was played in more than Babar. Negative public impression is often controlled by objective reality and statistical evidence in Pakistan.
Babar has really gone through a difficult patch last year or so, which faces technical problems such as spin bowling, low strike rate, probably facing challenges to face problems? Who knows? Even such problems are common among the biggest players.
However, these players had the support of the permanent coaching of their national teams to solve such issues and improve them. And they returned stronger than ever before
Who can approach Babar Azam to support, considering how often the PCB has changed the coach and selectors? Is it Babar Azam’s fault that he lacks stable guidance from the national coaching setup? Who does he talk about his technical batting complications? Maybe, his father. Who is responsible for this?
The Pakistani people also play a significant role in the morale of the deteriorating player. After some excellent performances, the fans raised the young players as a legend, and compared them to greatness like Virat Kohli, or Wasim Akram. However, as soon as these players face minor shocks, they quickly turn from heroes to villain, they face severe criticism and negative.
Some people call Babar and Rizwan the best things in Pakistan cricket and others have accused them of being the biggest problem in the country. Star actors like Misbah -ul -Haq, and Shahid Afridi have previously tested this second, where public opinion is brutally swinging between the heroes and the severe criticism or hateful speech. Lack of respect for national heroes and a balanced, objective point of view has a profound impact on the confidence and emotional fitness of the players.
The PCB’s neglected medical and rehabilitation is spread. I have seen his career compromising due to inadequate injury. Shaheen Shah Afridi had to privately funded his treatment due to failure to provide PCB’s proper medical help.
Nasim Shah also returned from injury without proper recovery, lifted weight and losing fitness, highlighted the absence of professional nutritionists and trainers in PCB.
Mohammad Hasanine offers an example of how the appropriate administration can change a player’s career. Hassanin sought private professional guidance and made a remarkable return, emphasizing the need for structural administration and assistance – in which the PCB failed to provide permanently. See how the appropriate administration changed the career of Mohammad Hussein.
Poor financial management of PCB further enhances this issue. The current administration has spent millions of dollars on quickly constructed stadiums, lacking in proper drainage and infrastructure rather than directly investing in players. Due to administrative negligence and corruption, the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, which is now in Lahore, lacks the essential professional staff, including coaches, trainers and medical staff, which are due to administrative negligence and corruption.
Although the PCB always had its own shortcomings, this current leadership has already emptied the treasury like anyone. It is a heavy, ad hoc joke that is no longer ridiculous.
While modern sports teams relies heavily on data analysis for everything related to cricket, depending on PCB data can only be described as ancient.
The PCB’s management of the participation of players in the international leagues further illustrates its inability. Pakistani cricketers can play two international league annually. Players like Shaheen Afridi (Trent rocket), Mohammad Rizwan (South Bahadur), and Shadab Khan (Trent rocket) were selected two seasons before, and the franchises formed their teams around the players.
However, the PCB suddenly denied the certificate of an objection (NOC) at the last minute, which led to significant disappointment, which damaged international confidence, and the franchisees completely avoided Pakistani players.
Forty -five Pakistani cricketers registered their names for a hundred, in 2025. Result? No one was selected. This shocking result is the lowest point in the proud history of Pakistani cricket. The rejection is not only due to the lack of form or talent, but also because international franchises no longer rely on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to professionally handle the players.
Pakistan should focus on West Indies cricket, where Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Avon Lewis, Sheldon Cottrell, Fabin Allen, Shamron Hetimier, and Oshan Thomas prefer the franchise leagues. Cricket West Indies (CWI) mismanagement, which includes contract disputes and the welfare of poor players, pushed these players to more profitable and professional stable leagues worldwide.
If the PCB continues on this catastrophic path, Pakistani players can also prefer league cricket, and weaken the national aspect, which is like the current West Indies struggle. Mohammad Amir and Emad Wasim have long retired from national duties. And now Azam Khan, Hers Rauf and Fakhr are extremely angry with the lack of contracts, or the lack of NOC. These are a dangerous sign.
In today’s cricketing landscape, only raw talent is not enough to secure only victories. Success demands tough fitness programs, data analytics, professional nutrition projects, made maintenance protocols, capable coaching staff, and stable, permanent administration.
Modern cricket relies heavily on professional infrastructure and support system. As long as the PCB adopts full player development, responsible investment, and the engagement of balanced fans, Pakistan cricket will continue to decline. With, or without Babar and Rizwan.
