For anyone who follows Pakistan cricket, the current situation must feel like a bitter pill to swallow. The national side has stumbled through 14 defeats in the last 19 Test matches, a slump that was underscored by a crushing three‑day loss to England at Headingley, where the visitors were bowled out for an innings and 103 runs. The English bowlers were relentless, the batting line‑up faltered, and the fielding was sub‑par – a perfect storm that left Pakistan looking out of depth.
As the second Test looms at Lord's, set to begin on Thursday with live coverage on Sky Sports Cricket, the conversation has shifted from the on‑field performance to deeper structural problems. Osman Samiuddin, a senior editor at Cricinfo and a recognised authority on Pakistan cricket, joined former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast to dissect what he believes has gone fundamentally wrong. He warned that the game in Pakistan has reached an "alarm‑bells" stage, with supporters growing increasingly frustrated not just with results but with the way the sport is administered. Samiuddin highlighted the chaotic history of domestic competition in Pakistan.
Over the past half‑century there has been a relentless tug‑of‑war between departmental teams—sponsored by corporations or government bodies—and regional sides representing provinces. "Whatever system you finally settle on, you need to stick with it for a decade or more," he argued. Instead, the structure has been overhauled almost every season since the inaugural first‑class season in 1953, denying the game any sense of stability. In 2019‑20 the board slashed the number of first‑class teams from sixteen to six, only to re‑expand later to sixteen again across four first‑class tournaments and three limited‑overs competitions.
The 2019 reduction had a dramatic human cost. By halving the pool of professional cricketers, many players suddenly found themselves without a livelihood. Some were reported to have taken up taxi driving overnight, a stark illustration of how volatile the domestic landscape has become. Moreover, the concentration of matches in just four or five venues, rather than the traditional spread across sixteen grounds, limits players' exposure to varied conditions.
Young batsmen such as Abdullah Shafique and Imam‑ul‑Haq, for example, are deprived of the experience needed to adapt to different pitches and climates. Beyond the domestic arena, Samiuddin pointed out that Pakistan simply does not play enough Test cricket. The team has not featured in a double‑digit number of Tests in any calendar year since 2017.
By contrast, only Sri Lanka (four), Ireland (three) and Afghanistan (two) have scheduled fewer than five Tests in 2025, and Pakistan is slated for nine matches in 2026 – still a modest load for a nation that aspires to be a Test powerhouse. Leadership turnover compounds the problem. Since 2021 the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has seen four chairmen—Ramiz Raja, Najam Sethi, Zaka Ashraf and the current Mohsin Naqvi—each bringing divergent philosophies and varying levels of commitment.
Naqvi, who also serves as the country's interior minister, juggles a demanding governmental portfolio, raising doubts about how much focus he can devote to cricket administration. This lack of consistent governance has filtered down to player development.
Talented youngsters like Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, Abdullah Shafique and Naseem Shah burst onto the scene with high expectations, yet many have stalled or regressed. Samiuddin attributes this regression largely to poor career management by the PCB.
Injuries have been mishandled, rehabilitation pathways unclear, and coaching appointments erratic. Shaheen, for instance, suffered a knee injury while fielding in Sri Lanka in 2022 and was rushed back to action amid confusion over his rehab program.
Since then he has featured in only nine of the last 27 Tests. Naseem Shah has not played a Test since December 2024, despite being a leading fast‑bowling prospect.
Both bowlers have been subject to frequent changes in coaching staff, leaving them without a stable mentor or clear development plan. Additionally, they have seen little first‑class cricket in recent years—a critical deficiency for fast bowlers who need regular competitive overs to rebuild strength and technique. The waste of talent, Samiuddin warned, has accelerated over the past five to six years.
While some degree of attrition is inevitable in any sport, the rate at which promising players are lost or under‑utilised in Pakistan is alarming. The situation is further exacerbated by opaque selection decisions; both Shaheen and Naseem have been dropped from the Test squad without public explanation, a move that "messes with a player's career," according to Samiuddin. Fan sentiment mirrors the administrative angst.
Observers at Leeds noted a surprisingly thin Pakistani contingent, and the podcast host reported hearing from supporters who are not angry at the players per se, but are fed up with the way the game is run. While many will still travel to Lord's to watch their team, attendance is dwindling, and the patience of the fan base is wearing thin. Samiuddin likened the danger to the decline of cricket in the West Indies and the marginalisation of hockey in Pakistan—both once‑proud sports now struggling for relevance due to mismanagement. In summary, the challenges facing Pakistan cricket are multi‑layered: a volatile domestic structure, insufficient Test exposure, frequent leadership changes, inadequate player welfare and development, and a growing disconnect with the fan base.
Unless the PCB commits to a long‑term, coherent strategy—stabilising the domestic format, ensuring consistent coaching, protecting player health, and engaging transparently with supporters—the alarm bells will continue to ring, and the nation's cricketing fortunes may continue to slip further away from their historic heights.