Being a Pakistan cricket enthusiast at the moment feels like watching a beloved ship slowly sink amid a storm of setbacks. In the last 19 Test matches, the national side has lost 14, a dismal record that was underscored last week when England thrashed them by an innings and 103 runs in the opening Test at Headingley. That defeat was not just a loss on the scoreboard; it exposed a deeper malaise that has been festering within Pakistan’s cricketing structure for years. The English team, on that occasion, appeared almost effortless.
Their bowlers were disciplined, their batsmen executed shots with confidence, and even their fielding was sharp. By contrast, Pakistan’s performance was a mix of erratic bowling, fragile batting and a fielding display that left fans shaking their heads. The result was a painful reminder that something fundamental has gone awry. Ahead of the second Test at Lord’s, which was scheduled to begin on Thursday morning and broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket, senior Cricinfo editor and recognised Pakistan cricket analyst Osman Samiuddin joined former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.
Samiuddin used the platform to diagnose the problems he believes have pushed Pakistan cricket into an "alarm‑bells" stage, a point where supporters are no longer merely disappointed but genuinely fed up with the way the game is being administered. One of the most glaring issues Samiuddin highlighted is the perpetual instability of the domestic structure.
For half a century Pakistan has wavered between departmental teams—sponsored by corporations or government bodies—and regional sides representing provinces or cities. He argued that the board should choose one model and commit to it for at least a decade, allowing players, coaches and administrators to operate within a predictable framework.
Instead, the system has been overhauled almost every season since the inaugural first‑class competition in 1953. In 2019‑20 the board slashed the number of first‑class teams from sixteen to six, only to expand again later to a mixture of four first‑class and three white‑ball tournaments. That sudden reduction eliminated roughly half of the domestic talent pool overnight, leaving many cricketers without a livelihood; stories emerged of former first‑class players taking up taxi driving to make ends meet. The repercussions of that chaotic reshuffling are evident in the quality of the domestic game, which is the breeding ground for future Test stars.
Previously, matches were spread across sixteen venues, providing a variety of pitch conditions that helped batsmen and bowlers adapt. In recent years, the competition has been confined to just four or five grounds, limiting exposure to diverse environments.
Samiuddin questioned how young batters such as Abdullah Shafique and Imam‑ul‑Haq can develop the technique required for overseas tours when they are accustomed to a narrow set of home pitches. Another point of concern is the scarcity of Test cricket itself. Pakistan has not played ten or more Tests in a calendar year since 2017.
While other nations like Sri Lanka, Ireland and Afghanistan have scheduled fewer than five Tests for 2025, Pakistan’s schedule remains thin, with only nine Tests slated for 2026. The lack of regular, high‑quality five‑day cricket hampers player growth and reduces the team’s competitive edge.
Samiuddin also pointed to the revolving door of leadership at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Since 2021, four chairmen—Ramiz Raja, Najam Sethi, Zaka Ashraf and the current chairman Mohsin Naqvi—have taken the helm, each bringing a different vision and level of involvement.
Naqvi, who also serves as the country’s interior minister, is arguably stretched thin between governmental duties and cricket administration. This divided attention, according to Samiuddin, contributes to inconsistent decision‑making and a lack of strategic continuity. Player development, particularly for fast‑bowling talents, has suffered under this unstable environment. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, Abdullah Shafique and Naseem Shah burst onto the international scene with great promise, yet many have struggled to fulfil their potential.
Samiuddin blamed the PCB’s handling of their careers, citing poor injury management, inadequate coaching support and frequent changes in the coaching staff. Shaheen, for example, has missed the majority of Tests since returning from a knee injury in 2022, partly because of a confusing rehabilitation process and the absence of a stable bowling coach. Naseem Shah has not featured in a Test since December 2024, despite his reputation as a prodigious pacer. Both bowlers have seen limited first‑class action over the past three years, a worrying sign for any fast‑bowler who needs regular workload to maintain pace, stamina and skill.
The broader pattern, as Samiuddin described, is an escalating waste of talent. While some degree of attrition is inevitable in any sport, the rate at which Pakistan loses promising players has accelerated. Unexplained omissions, such as the sudden dropping of Shaheen and Naseem from the Test squad, disrupt career trajectories and erode player confidence. Fans in Leeds observed a noticeably thin Pakistani contingent, reflecting dwindling enthusiasm and growing frustration.
Public sentiment, according to Samiuddin, is shifting from disappointment in results to anger at governance. He recounted anecdotal evidence that supporters are less upset about losing matches and more upset about the way cricket is run in the country.
The fear is that, if the current trajectory continues, cricket in Pakistan could follow the decline experienced by hockey—once a national pastime now relegated to the margins—or the West Indies, where administrative turmoil has led to a prolonged fall from grace. In summary, the crisis facing Pakistan cricket is multi‑faceted: an erratic domestic structure that fails to nurture talent, insufficient exposure to Test cricket, a revolving leadership that lacks focus, and inadequate player management that hampers the development of world‑class bowlers. Unless the PCB commits to a stable, long‑term vision—choosing a single domestic model, ensuring regular five‑day fixtures, and providing consistent, expert coaching—the alarm bells will continue to ring, and the once‑vibrant cricketing culture of Pakistan may risk fading into irrelevance.