Being a fan of Pakistan cricket these days feels like watching a beloved ship slowly taking on water. In the last 19 Test matches the national side has been on the losing end 14 times, a run of defeats that has left supporters feeling disheartened and frustrated. The most recent blow came in the opening Test of the England series at Headingley, where Pakistan were dismissed for an innings and then bowled out for 103 runs, a comprehensive loss that highlighted deep‑seated problems on both sides of the game.
The English team, on the other hand, looked comfortable and competent. Their bowlers lacked pace but were disciplined, their batsmen produced solid scores, and their fielding was sharp. The combination of a weak bowling attack, a faltering batting line‑up and sub‑par fielding created a perfect storm that Pakistan could not survive. Ahead of the second Test at Lord's, which began on Thursday morning and was broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket, senior Cricinfo editor and Pakistan‑cricket specialist Osman Samiuddin joined former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.
Samiuddin used the platform to diagnose the issues that have pushed Pakistani cricket to what he described as an "alarm‑bells" stage, where fans are increasingly fed up with the way the sport is being administered in the country. Samiuddin began by pointing out the chronic instability of the domestic structure. For the past five decades Pakistan has been caught in a tug‑of‑war between departmental teams—sponsored by government bodies or corporations—and regional sides that represent provinces or cities. He argued that the board should choose one model and commit to it for at least a decade, rather than flipping the system every season.
Since the inaugural first‑class season in 1953, the format has been altered almost annually, preventing any sense of continuity. In 2019‑20 the PCB reduced the number of first‑class teams from sixteen to six, only to expand again later to sixteen teams across four first‑class competitions and three limited‑overs tournaments. That abrupt cut‑back eliminated half of the country’s first‑class player pool overnight.
Samiuddin recounted stories of cricketers who suddenly found themselves without a contract and were forced to take up jobs such as driving taxis to make ends meet. The constant reshuffling has eroded the quality of domestic cricket, the very foundation from which international talent is sourced. Another problem he highlighted is the concentration of matches on a handful of venues.
Historically, first‑class games were spread across sixteen grounds, giving players exposure to a variety of pitches and conditions. In recent years, however, the schedule has been confined to just four or five venues. This limited variety makes it difficult for batsmen like Abdullah Shafique and Imam‑ul‑Haq to develop the adaptability required for Test cricket, where they must negotiate everything from green‑turf swing to turning tracks.
Samiuddin also noted that Pakistan simply does not play enough Test cricket. Since 2017 the team has not featured in a double‑digit number of Tests in any calendar year.
By contrast, only three other nations—Sri Lanka (four Tests), Ireland (three) and Afghanistan (two)—have played fewer than five Tests in 2025. The PCB has scheduled nine Tests for 2026, but the lack of regular high‑level exposure hampers player development and erodes confidence. The governance issues extend beyond the domestic calendar. Since 2021 the PCB has seen four different chairmen—Ramiz Raja, Najam Sethi, Zaka Ashraf and now Mohsin Naqvi—each bringing divergent philosophies and varying levels of involvement.
Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s interior minister, is often preoccupied with national security matters, leaving little time for cricket administration. This revolving‑door leadership has contributed to an inconsistent strategic vision.
Player management, according to Samiuddin, is another area where the board falls short. Talented youngsters such as Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, Abdullah Shafique and Naseem Shah burst onto the scene with great promise, yet many have struggled to fulfill their potential. The crux of the issue, he argued, lies in how the PCB handles injuries, workload, and overall development. Shaheen, for example, suffered a knee injury while fielding in Sri Lanka in 2022 and has since been rushed back into the side amid confusion over his rehabilitation.
He has played only nine of the last 27 Tests, and his lack of regular first‑class cricket over the past three years has prevented him from rebuilding the physical robustness needed for fast bowling. Naseem Shah’s situation is equally concerning. He has not featured in a Test since December 2024, despite being one of the most promising pace prospects. Frequent changes to the coaching staff—uncertainty about who is the head coach, who the bowling coach is, and so on—have left players without consistent guidance.
For a fast bowler, regular match practice, especially in the longer format, is essential to maintain pace, accuracy and injury resilience. Samiuddin warned that the waste of talent has accelerated over the past five or six years. While some degree of attrition is inevitable, the current rate suggests a systemic failure to nurture and retain elite players. He cited instances where key bowlers like Shaheen and Naseem were dropped from the Test squad without clear explanations, a practice that can derail a player's career trajectory and morale.
The atmosphere at Headingley underscored the growing disenchantment among supporters. Pakistani fans were noticeably few in number, and the few who did attend expressed a weariness not just with the on‑field results but with the way cricket is run in the country. Samiuddin observed that fans are not angry at the players per se; rather, they are exasperated with administrative missteps, inconsistent policies and a perceived lack of direction.
He cautioned that if the current trend continues, cricket in Pakistan could suffer a fate similar to that of hockey—a sport that once enjoyed massive popularity but has since dwindled due to poor governance. The West Indies, once a cricketing powerhouse, is another cautionary example of how mismanagement can erode a nation's standing in the sport.
In summary, the challenges facing Pakistan cricket are multi‑layered: an unstable domestic structure, insufficient Test exposure, frequent leadership changes, inadequate player development and a disconnect between the board and its fan base. Addressing these issues will require a long‑term commitment to a single domestic model, a clear and consistent leadership team, better injury and workload management, and a renewed focus on giving emerging talent the opportunities and support they need to thrive. Only then can the alarm bells stop ringing and the once‑vibrant cricketing culture of Pakistan regain its former glory.