Pakistan’s recent 2-0 loss to Bangladesh in a Test series at home has raised concerns about the team’s performance. Many people are questioning the team, which has been underperforming in all formats of the game lately. Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria gave his thoughts on the situation.
Pakistan Cricket Under Fire
Pakistan’s cricket team has been heavily criticized for its poor performances across Test matches, One-Day Internationals (ODIs), and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). The team has consistently failed to live up to expectations, leading to criticism from all sides.
Recently, Pakistan was defeated 2-0 in a Test series at home by Bangladesh, led by Shan Masood. Bangladesh became the second team to whitewash Pakistan at home in a two-match or longer Test series, following England’s 3-0 victory in 2022.
Struggles in T20Is and ODIs
Pakistan’s underperformance isn’t limited to Tests. They also lost to the USA during the T20 World Cup 2024 and were beaten by Afghanistan in the ODI World Cup 2023.
The players’ individual performances have also been questioned, especially Babar Azam, who hasn’t scored a half-century in his last 16 Test innings.
ALSO READ: Rishabh Pant Talks About Big Changes After Gautam Gambhir Became Head Coach
Kaneria’s Warning for Pakistan Cricket
Danish Kaneria, a former leg-spinner, shared his thoughts on Pakistan’s cricketing issues in an interview with India TV. He warned that if players keep performing poorly, “Cricket will be dead in Pakistan.”
Selection Process Criticism
Kaneria also criticized the politics involved in the team selection process. He pointed out that players like Fawad Alam and Abid Ali were dropped after a few bad performances, but others, like Babar Azam, remain in the team despite not scoring a fifty in over 12 innings.
Players Avoiding Domestic Cricket
According to Kaneria, top players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Mohammad Rizwan avoid playing red-ball cricket in domestic tournaments. He also criticized the Pakistan Super League (PSL), saying it doesn’t have the same standard as the Indian Premier League (IPL). Many international stars choose not to play in the PSL, whereas in the IPL, players must perform to secure future contracts, giving the example of Steve Smith.
READ MORE:
