Legendary pacer Shoaib Akhtar did not hold back his frustration during a live television discussion following Pakistan’s latest defeat, as they lost to England by an innings and 47 runs. The loss on Friday marked yet another disappointment for Pakistan’s cricket team in the Test arena.
Akhtar’s remarks were direct and passionate, as he criticized both the players and the management, pointing out what he called a significant decline in Pakistan cricket over the last decade. “You will reap what you sow. Over the decades, I have seen the decline,” he remarked, emphasizing that the current squad is “not good enough” for international competition.
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Akhtar also expressed his dismay over the one-sided nature of the match, noting, “Losing is fine, but the game should be close. However, what we saw over the past two days, they completely gave up hope.” He highlighted that recent results, including England’s dominance and a defeat to Bangladesh, reflect poorly on the team’s capabilities.
The Rawalpindi Express further warned of potential long-term consequences, including Pakistan’s standing in international cricket. He called on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi to take urgent steps for the betterment of the sport. “Fans are saying that Pakistan should withdraw from WTC. ICC must be thinking ‘should we send teams to Pakistan and keep their Test status alive.’ It’s just disheartening.”
Akhtar also touched upon internal issues like groupism among players, stemming from leadership struggles and multiple contenders for captaincy. He stressed that weak management is exacerbating the problems within the team. “If your management and captain are weak, there will be groupism,” he explained, recalling that similar challenges have persisted since his playing days.
The dire situation is further underscored by the fact that it has been 1,331 days since Pakistan last won a Test match, with their last victory occurring in February 2021 against South Africa in Rawalpindi under Babar Azam’s captaincy.
